Awakening of the Serpents' Avatar
by Aarik076
Summary: He had finally put the pieces together...what he thought was his life was a lie. Now he is out for revenge, and not just on Voldemort...and with the help of certain snake, he'll do just that.
1. The Truth Revealed

**And here we are again, and with a new story to boot! To those of you whom have been reading my first story, yes this is that vicious plot-bunny that attacked me. Now, as the heading states this is indeed a Harry Potter fanfic, and yes you saw right people...Nagini is one of the main characters, and will play a very important role. Just to let you know ahead of time I changed the timeline a little for Nagini's past...it needed to be done for plot to move smoothly. As far as I know I am the first to attempt such for any decent length story, and I plan in this one being...substantially large. I will attempt to update both this story and my other in tandem, but I have promised my readers that my Naruto/Digimon crossover will take priority. That does not mean I will update this every other month...if at all possible this will be updated weekly just like my other. That being said, if you like this story then please say so, constructive criticism is also a vital part of improving a story's quality...so if you see something you think is important to correct, say so. As for flames...meh if you want to then go ahead...but really, what will you gain? You waste your time ranting to someone who will just end up being amused at your attempt to start a fight on the internet...but hey, your choice. Now then, on the the story!**

"Blah blah blah" – Normal speaking.

_'Blah blah blah' – _Thoughts.

'Blah blah blah' – Thought-speak.

Blah blah blah~ – Parseltongue (or layman's terms, snake-speak)

"_blah blah blah" - _Spells.

~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~

^Obviously denotes a scene change^

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to the Harry Potter book series. However, I DO own this fanfiction story.**

**The Truth Revealed**

It was a calm night in Little Whinging...the neighborhood was silent, the perfectly normal people all in their perfectly normal houses, ready for, you guessed it, a perfectly normal night. Up above, the night sky was finally losing the vibrant hue of the sunset, giving way to the soothing curtain of night with clear skies...a rare occasion in England. High above, the moon sat among its starry companions keeping a constant vigilance over the world below until the sun would come to release it of its duty. Its soft rays fell upon the perfectly normal neighborhood, seeming to bless the occupants within...however one such occupant was most certainly feeling quite the opposite. For he was the sole being within this quiet neighborhood that was most certainly not normal...his name is Harry Potter, and this is his story.

~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~

For what felt like the thousandth time tonight, Harry let out a sigh. Of course he was exaggerating...it was only the fifth-sixth time tonight. _'And just how sad is that? I'm actually keeping track of how many times I sigh...bloody hell.'_ Once more he peered out of his window at the moon, quite envious of all the freedom it seemed to have, while he himself was literally locked in his room...the barred windows and padlocked door delivering that message quite clearly.

As he peered enviously at the moon, he recalled that it was just barely into his second week of summer 'vacation'...he still had at least two months before he could go back to what he enjoyed...magic and the world in which it resided. Ironically enough, he found himself missing the chores and the occasional beating whenever his uncle got drunk...at least they would break this monotony. For a little over a week he had been back, and apart from bathing and using the bathroom he hadn't been let out once...they just shoved the bread and water in through a small flap on the door when he needed to eat. It would seem that perhaps the Dursleys weren't as daft as he originally assumed, they had at least pickup up on the fact that something had happened, and had changed him fundamentally.

As his mind wandered into these thoughts, it once more brought up the memories of Sirius' death, replaying his fall through the veil over and over without reprieve. Harry would never forget the look of utter shock on his Godfather's face as he fell back...he stopped himself from thinking further, chocking back a sob...he had cried enough. One would think that Harry would be angry at himself for what had happened...after all, it was he whom had put together a rescue party and led them right into a trap, which forced the Order of the Phoenix to come and rescue them, inevitably causing Sirius' death. And initially he most certainly was right pissed at himself, blaming himself for his Godfather's death.

However, this only lasted for the first day. Upon awakening on the second day and finding himself with nothing to do, Harry thought about what had happened during his stay in the wizarding world, right from the beginning. It was as he did this that he began to realize that the events which had happened were...quite convenient.

After five years of being immersed into the wizarding world, Harry knew exponentially more than he knew when he first arrived, and had matured quite a bit as well...where he once let others form his opinion, he now liked to make his own. That being said, he had over time found out that what people preached was not always true. Gryffindors were not always the epitome of light and good...quite often his house-mates proved to be highly prejudiced and haughty. On top of this, they tended to change directions between idolizing him and condemning him more often than a wind sail would in a hurricane, as evidenced by the Chamber of Secrets incident and the Triwizard Tournament.

On the other hand, he had learned that not all Slytherins were bound to become evil. Sure, for the most part they did not like him, and a few downright hated him, but there were those that he noticed held no malice towards him. If anything, they just seemed indifferent to his presence, as if they merely were neutral towards him. However, one fact that stood out above all else to him...one that he greatly admired, though he never spoke of it, and it was the fact that they were _united._ He had no delusions that they were all chummy with each-other, but one thing was certain; they looked out for one another...if one was in danger they all came running, regardless of whether or not they liked said person. It was a trait that the "noble" house of Gryffindor failed to show with him. It was not long before he realized thatevery person had the capacity for both good and evil; their choice did not depend on the mascot they bore.

It was with this new mindset that Harry replayed his years through Hogwarts, and found an alarming amount of events that seemed either _very_ coincidental or were orchestrated. First there was his admittance letter, addressed to one Harry Potter, Little Whinging, Surrey...cupboard under the stairs. He might have not found it odd then, having lived in one his whole life...but now he knew better. Only the headmaster or his second could send out admittance letters, and either way the headmaster knew. This being said...since when was it considered normal for a child to life in a bloody broom closet?The fact that it was addressed to that exact location told him Dumbledore had _knew _how he lived prior to Hogwarts. Second there was his initial encounter with Hagrid...the man was about the nicest person you could ever meet, Harry knew that very well, but he was also blindly loyal to Dumbledore. In fact, it was not long after Hagrid had taken Harry from his relatives that he began spouting the goodness of Dumbledore, and how he was a saint amongst wizards. In the same breath, Hagrid also mentioned each of the houses, and just coincidentally praised the virtues of Gryffindor while simultaneously condemning the 'evil' house of Slytherin. Of course, considering that Hagrid was Harry's first friend he felt compared to adopt his opinions...and so he did. When he had to find platform 9 ¾ for the train to Hogwarts, yet another blaring event occurred. It just so happened that the Weasley family just happened to be outside the platform as well, and Ms. Weasley just happened to forget where the entrance was. Back then he thought nothing of it...but now he knew that she had already sent two children through Hogwarts and had three more attending, with one about to join. That would mean she had been doing this for at least seven years...and she just happened to forget when Harry arrived, and then proceeded to proclaim such in a station full of muggles? No...it was all too clear now that they were waiting for him, for the sole purpose of befriending him...and he had a feeling it was under orders.

Then came Ron. He, like Hagrid, praised Gryffindor and downright cursed Slytherin, and because he was Harry's first his-age friend...he once more adopted this view. When it came time to be sorted, he remembered how panicked he was when the hat told him he would do great in Slytherin...looking back, Harry found the hat was right...he enjoyed using his cunning far more than rushing headfirst without a plan, relying upon his courage and dumb-luck. But, because of the light-skewed views he had been fed for his entire stay in the wizarding world so far, he adamantly refused to be a Slytherin, and instead became a Gryffindor for the sake of his friendship with Ron.

After this was Dumbledore's announcement that the third floor corridor was off limits, and that attempting to go there anyways could result in a painful death. If you said this to a hall full of mature adults, they would most likely heed this advice and steer clear...but a hall full of children ages 11 through 18? He might as well have just said to explore it to their heart's content...and little Harry, having never had any kind of adventure in his life, was all to eager. It was almost as if Dumbledore wanted them to investigate the corridor..or perhaps wanted Harry to in particular.

Then there was s-s-stuttering Professor Quirrell, the turban wearing coward of a professor...with Voldemort's ugly mug plastered on the back of his skull. How, exactly, did Dumbledore not notice this; he had been fighting Voldemort for decades, and yet he could not detect the presence of the man sitting right next to him? And even better yet, Dumbledore happened to show up just after Harry had killed Quirrell.

Then there was the Chamber of Secrets incident. Harry now knew Dumbledore was well over 150 years old. Considering that and the fact that he was the headmaster of the most prestigious wizarding school, one would assume he had very extensive knowledge of all things magical. And yet, he could not recognize the signs of a bloody sixty foot Basilisk slithering around Hogwarts, nor could he detect the dark artifact that Ginny had nearly died from as she carried it with her everywhere? Even better yet, just as Harry was about to die it just so happened that Fawkes, Dumbledore's Phoenix, decided to pop in and hand him what he needed to defeat the basilisk, and ultimately Tom Riddle. The coincidences were simply staggering.

Next was the Azkaban escapee, Sirius Black. He was kept out of the loop on the 'dangerous' man's escape for quite some time...and when he was finally told it was only after they came to the conclusion that the supposed mass-murderer was after him. Not long after that, he met Sirius and his innocence was revealed. However, upon the discovery of Sirius' innocence and the fact that Peter Pettigrew was still alive, was Sirius pardoned? One would think it would be quite easy to do so...after all, all you would need is a pensive with the memories of the event in the Shrieking Shack to prove his innocence, and if that failed, a simple veritaserum would clear up any remaining questions. And yet, Albus Dumbledore, Supreme Mugwump of the Wizengamot...insisted that Sirius stay hidden in 12 Grimmauld Place, and did not even attempt to pardon Sirius. Because of this, Sirius was rarely able to interact with Harry, and thus could not influence him much.

In fourth year was the Triwizard Tournament. Dumbledore once again failed to realize that his supposedly old friend was actually Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise...one would think Dumbledore would be able to tell an oldtime friend apart from a deatheater.

And then last, but most certainly not least, was his fifth year...and the prophecy. Dumbledore had only told him of the prophecy _after_ Sirius' death, and more importantly told him that Voldemort wanted said prophecy, which was held in the department of mysteries. It was then that he realized it was not his fault that Sirius died...oh no. While it was mainly the fault of that bitch Bellatrix...Dumbledore also was to blame. Had he informed Harry of his suspicions beforehand, he might not have lunged headfirst into the place just because of a vision he had...in fact he damn well knew he would not have...he would have seen if Sirius was alright by using the two-way-mirror he had given Harry.

As Harry finished going over his life at Hogwarts...he was still angry, and very much so...but not at himself anymore. Oh no...he was angry at those whom he had called allies and friends. They had betrayed him in the worst of ways, and all on the orders or suggestions of Dumbledore. Dumbledore...that man he now hated with a passion which would have impressed Voldemort...that damnable old coot had manipulated his entire life! He had made Harry into his personal puppet, pulling his strings in the background, and all to make sure Harry became what Dumbledore wanted him to be.

But...those revelations had occurred almost a week ago; now he was just tired of it all. He would most likely regain his anger after he got some sleep, but for now he was content to just envy the moon. Harry spent the next hour just staring at the moon before he decided it was time to sleep, and so he did.

However, he woke up only hours later. Glancing at the clock, Harry noted it was only 1 a.m. _'What in blazes...what woke me up?'_ Silently Harry got onto his feet, years of being the prime target of an insane dark lord had toned his survival instincts and reflexes. Grabbing his wand from underneath his pillow, Harry backed up into a corner of the room and fell silent, listening for anything out of place.

For a minute everything was silent...until heard the very faint sound of something sliding up the stairs. Harry knew all to damn well that something wasn't right now...none of the Dursleys made that sound, and they were all fast asleep anyways. As the sliding stopped just outside of his door, Harry dearly hoped that the lock which kept him in would also keep whatever was behind the door out. However his hopes were dashed as he heard a crunch of metal breaking...which only made him more nervous; that padlock was quite large. He held his breath as the door opened slowly and quietly until it was just past halfway open, yet Harry could see nothing in the darkness of the hallway.

Once again all was quiet for a moment before a sleek, long, and _very large_ form sprung out of the darkness and straight at him like a bullet. He had only enough time to move the bulk of his body away from the impact, but the impact still sent him spinning as it hit his right arms, sending his wand to the opposite side of the room. He quickly rolled away from whatever the hell hit him and tried to see just what was attacking him...and felt his face drain of blood upon the discovery. The jet-black scales with a dark amber diamond pattern along a sleek form gave him his answer immediately: a snake...and a very large one at that. If he was honest with himself he found snakes to be very interesting creatures...that fact that they could talk to him helped boost this fact. And, he had to admit this snake was quite beautiful...however, all of this was pushed into the back of his mind at this moment...for while beautiful, the effect was lost when said animal was trying to kill you.

Just as he was getting ready to make a break for his wand, he was tripped by a lithe appendage and found himself once again on the floor. However, before he could get up he felt more than saw the thick coils of the snake begin to wrap around him, and he knew he was royally screwed. As he was wrapped up more and more, he was frantically looking around, trying to figure out some means of escape.

It was during his frantic inspection that his eyes fell upon two very faint blue glows coming from just in front of his head...and realized that it was the snake's eyes. _'Strange...I've never heard of snakes having eyes that glow, not even the magical ones had that, in fact it kinda looks like...'_ Here he froze, the possibility just seemed to surreal to him. _'It looks like the same glow Krum has in his eyes in the last part of the Triwizard Tournament...the Imperious Curse! But...then that would mean that Voldemort is controlling this snake...it is not willing!' _With this in mind he formed a desperate plan, one that was very unlikely to work...but he had no other option.

Even though the snake was now constricting him quite painfully, Harry managed to clear his mind and focused upon one thought. _'Finite Incantatum! Finite Incantatum!' Come on dammit, this has to work!'_ He had only heard rumors about wandless magic, and that in theory it was possible, but only will a very strong wizard or witch and an even greater will. And so, as the snake constricted tighter and tighter, so did Harry's will to wandlessly cast the dispelling spell. His vision was beginning to fade at the corners when he thought of Sirius...if he died now he could not avenge him. This was the spark that he needed, and with a silent scream Harry unleashed a soft blue wave which passed over the snake, and promptly passed out.

When Harry came back into awareness an hour later, he groaned as he sat up, and quickly found his head back on the floor as it collided with something.

~Ssstupid human! Watch what you're doing next time! I ssswear, humans never use their senses, incompetent moneys...~ here the sibilant hisses trailed off into what could only be the snake version of grumbling.

Still somewhat drowsy, Harry replied without thinking. ~Sorry, I didn't mean to, I'm not quite awake yet.~

At his reply the quiet hissing abruptly stopped and was replaced by one loud startled hiss. At the same time Harry became aware of this hissing, as well as the events that had happened tonight. As if he was never on the floor in the first place, Harry was across the room and looking wide-eyed at the very large form of a snake which was illuminated by the moon outside. However, while Harry was remembering the crushing squeeze of the snake, said snake was focused on something entirely different.

~You are a ssspeaker! I thought there wass only one left...thisss iss perfect, now that we can communicate, maybe you can help me!~

Although Harry was still quite frightened, he did find it quite odd and a little funny that a snake could form such a pleading visage. _'I'm getting the puppy-dog eyes from a snake that could swallow me whole...and nearly did...another day in the life of Harry Potter I suppose.' _Instead of freaking out more, Harry just decided to accept it...too much weird shit happened to him to really be surprised anymore. So, Harry slowly and carefully walked around the snake and closed the door; after all, if his relatives woke up to the sound of him hissing, he'd never see the light of day again. Turning around, he walked to his bed and sat down before looking at the snake, just now noticing that her (for indeed the voice was feminine) eyes were a vibrant amber with black slits _'Pretty.'_

~Erm...alright, but first...can you tell me what happened before I passed out?~ This was a test...while someone can lie to him, he had become very adept at reading the initial reactions that gave away the true answer...although Dumbledore still managed to evade such tactics.

The snake cocked her head to the side in an oddly endearing way before she let off a hiss of frustration. ~You mean you don't remember either? Well that'ss jussst great, how am I sssuppossed to figure out where I am now?~

Both the expressions and the words told Harry all that he needed to hear, though it was still hard to believe. _'And here I thought snakes followed Voldemort because he is a parselmouth...well at least this one didn't.'_ He most certainly didn't want to be the one to give the news to the snake, but who else would? Silently cursing every known deity he could think of, Harry sighed before he dropped the proverbial bomb on the snake.

~...You're not going to like this...but the reason I asked you if you remembered anything was because I was testing you, to see if you genuinely did not remember anything. Tell me, do you know of magic?~

When the snake gave him what could only be described as a 'Did you really just ask that?' look, Harry faintly blushed in embarrassment before he continued on. ~Err...right, stupid question. Well do you know of the Imperious Curse?~

If the slight recoil from the snake was any indication, he'd say so. ~The enssslavement ssspell? Yess, I know of that dissgusting sspell...why do you assk, ssspeaker?~

He really didn't want to do this...and not just because the snake might get mad. The Imperious Curse did not have a limit...as long as it was refreshed occasionally it could keep the victim controlled indefinitely...and the mental repercussions could be great. But...it would be wrong to just lie to the snake...so heaving a great sign, he spoke.

~I ask...because what you don't remember is that you attacked me with the intention of killing me...but there was one thing that was off. Your eyes glowed a faint blue, and only one curse has such an effect on a being...the Imperious Curse.~ There, he said it. _'Now to wait for the destruction to begin...damn it why does this happen to me? I'm about to have an enormous snake go mental in my room!'_ His deed done, Harry quickly backed into a corner and braced himself. After a minute of waiting and nothing happening, Harry peeked out from his corner and found the snake frozen on the spot, her eyes wide and seemingly lost in thought. It was only a moment before the snake noticed his gaze, and slowly turned towards him before addressing him.

~...Ssspeaker...what year isss it?~ The hissed words were quiet...and fearful, as if the answer had the power to crush the snake...and for all Harry knew it may have very well had such power.

Somewhat confused by the statement, but somehow fearing what the answer would bring, Harry answered in a voice just as quiet. ~...It is 1995...why do you ask?~

At Harry's answer, the snake just stared blankly for a few minutes before she simply coiled herself up and buried her head within the coils, softy hissing the whole time. This of course disturbed Harry, not because it was frightening...no, it was because he still had a selfless mindset. The manipulations had certainly changed Harry on a fundamental level, but he still put others before himself...at least those that were deserving. And he could tell by the snake's question and her reaction to his answer that she had been under Imperious for a long time, though how long he did not know. _'Not to mention I can't stand seeing a girl upset, regardless of species...gah, I've never been good at these things...but I can't just leave her there...damn it all!'_

His decision made, Harry decided if she had wanted to kill him that she would have done it while he was passed out. So, he slowly approached the large pile of coils and sat down next to her. Gathering his courage, Harry slowly extended one of his hands and gently rested it on her scales in a simple reassuring gesture...even though he felt quite awkward doing it. He felt her powerful muscles tense underneath his hand and hoped he didn't overstep some bound.

However, the snake just re-exposed her head and stared at him for a moment, before asking in a confused voice, ~What are you doing, ssspeaker?~

Harry gave off a nervous chuckle before he responded. ~Ah, its a human gesture that is meant to comfort someone else and show them that you are there to support them.~

If anything, this just seemed to confuse the snake even more. ~But if what you sssay is true, then it makess even lesss ssensse...you jusst told me that I tried to kill you not long ago, and now you comfort me...why?~

When Harry answered, it was with a voice lost in memories and tinged heavily with bitterness. ~Lets just say...I know what its like to just find out that what you thought was your life was really nothing but a facade...so in short, I emphasize with you.~

That surprised the snake...she thought her situation was somewhat unique, at least between the two of them...but as the thought crossed her mind a gleam caught her eye. Looking to see what is was, she saw the remnants of what appeared to be a lock gleaming in the moonlight...outside his door. Turning, she also observed that the windows were barred, much like a prison's would be. _'Ssso...it would sseem that I am not alone in hardsshipss...thisss sspeaker sseemss to have had quite the difficult exisstensse as well; well, like the humansss ssay, misssery lovesss company.'_ Her mental dialogue finished, she decided if he comforted her than she would return the favor, it was only fair. And so, she slowly slithered a decent portion of her mass onto his lap; since he had put his hand on her to comfort her, then it made sense that she would simply lay on him...well at least it made sense to her.

As for Harry however, he was just barely keeping in a wince. At first he thought she had just decided to finish what she started, but when she simply settled on him in a very large coil upon his lap that draped over onto the floor...he was a little bewildered. Oh and crushed, lets not forget that...she was heavy! Yet, apparently she was trying to return some form of comfort, and refusing such a gesture would be quite rude...therefore he would endure it. _'Oh well, who needs legs anyways? Not I! Oh no, the great and powerful boy-who-lived will simply gnaw Voldemort's knees off when the time comes, that'll show him, try taking over the world now, cripple!' _Morbid humor aside, he turned his attention back to the snake that decided to speak up once more.

~It would sseem I am not the only one who needss comfort, am I right? Why were you locked into thisss room, sspeaker? From what I know of human culture, locking people in roomss often indicated that the persson committed a crime of sssome ssort.~

Harry couldn't hold in the amused snort that escaped at the thought...oh, he had committed a crime in his relative's lives all right.. ~Ha! Yes, I suppose it would certainly seem that way. Well you see, I am locked in here because to my relatives I am a criminal, and so is every other magical thing in this world. And so they lock me in here, trying to "keep the freakishness" away from them...that and they're frightened of my mentality at the moment.~ The last comment was said with dark smile upon his face, and it slightly concerned the snake.

~But you are a wizard! Ussing you magic to get out of here sshould be a sssimple tassk, sso why do you sstay?~ The bittersweet smile he gave her when she finished did nothing to ease her concerns...something was wrong here.

~Because if I try any magic here the ministry would detect it and come to break my wand and arrest me. Underage magic is not allowed outside of school grounds, and therefore there is really nothing I can do to stop my _relatives_ from locking me in here. But enough about me and my life, we can talk about that later. Instead, I never got your name, what is it?~

The abrupt change of topic was not lost on the snake, and the fully planned on going back to it soon enough. ~My name is Nagini...and on that note, I never got your name either...what isss it?~

~Nagini, huh? A very beautiful name I have to admit...as for my name, its Harry Potter.~ Ah, there it is...seems even snakes know his name huh? _'I guess I can understand being famous with the magical humans...but snakes?'_

~That name...it sssounds sso familiar...wait! You were the one that ssuppossedly defeated that blight upon my kind, Voldemort!~

Hold on just a second...blight upon _her_ kind? ~Yeah, that's me...though I really don't think I did all that much, I personally think my mum did something to me to protect me. But what do you mean by Voldemort being a blight upon_ your_ kind...he was attacking humans, not snakes!~

~That might be true, but think about it Harry. He came from Ssslytherin housse, his mark is a giant sskull with a _sssnake_ wrapped around it...and mosst importantly, he isss a ssspeaker asss well. In everything he doess, he usses usss ass a ssymbol, and it hass put our sspeciess in a very bad light.~

Well...that was a bit of news to Harry. ~Well ok, I can see your point when you put it like that...but why is the fact that he is a parselmouth so important?~

This shocked Nagini...apparently Harry knew nothing about being a speaker...this would have to be rectified. ~I am ssurprissed that you do not know...but regardlesss, ssnakess of all kindsss are compelled to heed the wordsss of at leasst one parsselmouth. Becausse of the rarity of the ability, the few people who have it usssually have it have the command of many sserpentsss. Asss it iss, mosst of my kind think that Voldemort isss the lasst of the sspeakerss, and thusss musst follow hiss commandss. The fact that you are one changesss everything! When I ssaid that we musst choosse at leasst one sspeaker to follow, I meant that if there wass more than one pressent, and we did not approve of the actionsss of the other, we could ssimply obey the one we dessired to obey...namely, you.~ Nagini just barely held back a hiss of amusement at the gobsmacked expression that made its way onto Harry's face.

As for Harry himself...well it was a good thing he was already sitting down. _'Command of all serpents...all this time people thought that serpents were evil, when in fact they were simply following orders from what they thought was the last speaker. And it sounds like most snakes to not approve of his actions...this could change everything!' _His reverie concluded, he decided to address Nagini. ~So what are you saying exactly? Now that there are at least two speakers, serpents can decide which one they want to follow? You make it sound like most do not like Voldemort.~ His response was what could only be described as a snort from Nagini...odd coming from a snake, but it was somewhat amusing as well.

~Do not like Voldemort? Mosst of uss desspisse the man! Hiss actionss have wrecked havoc upon our reputation, and he doess not care how many of uss fall while obeying hiss commandss! And I just bet it was him or one of hisss humanss that casst the horrible cursse upon me!~

~I'm sorry to say that you're probably right. He's absolutely nutters about trying to kill me, and sending in a snake to do the job would be just like the pasty bastard.~

At this Nagini let out a hiss of anger...that man would pay for what he has done! ~I knew it! He isss ressponssible for ruining my life then! Twelve yearsss...more than a decade I have been controlled by either him or one of hiss deatheaterss!~

Nagini's proclamation made Harry's eyes open wide in disbelief. _'She's been under the Imperious Curse for twelve bloody years? That's...that's insane! What possible reason could they have to keep one snake under the curse for so long...sure she's massive for a snake, but still!'_ Harry promptly decided he needed some answers, and badly. ~You've been under the curse for twelve years? That's...that's horrible, itsn't that almost half the life span of a snake?~

Nagini's initiall response was a hissing laugh, thought there was no mirth behind those hissing laughs. Finally she spoke, and it was tinged with a deep anger. ~For normal sssnakess you would be right, but I am not a normal ssnake. You ssee, Harry, my father wasss what you humansss call an Asiatic Reticulated Python. Ass for my mother...sshe wasss a Bassilisssk.~

At her proclamation what color Harry had on his face seemed to drain and he instinctively shut his eyes. However, all he got in response from his actions was amused hissing.

~Relax Harry, I did not inherit my mother'sss killing gaze. Even if I did, Bassilisskss have a ssecond eyelid that when covering the eye will render their gaze harmlesss, if not a little unnerving. But back on topic, I can only asssume thiss wass the reassson for my prolonged enslavement...but it doess not matter...for what that man hasss done to me, he will die; how doess not matter, so long ass the deed iss done.~

Her statements caused Harry to laugh, for while it was morbid it was also ironic how things turned out. _'Could my luck be finally changing? The very same snake sent to kill me now desires to kill the one that sent her!'_ ~Its funny isn't it? Where before you were trying to kill me, now you have the same goal as I do...well at least one of them.~

However, instead of Nagini becoming amused like he had thought she would, she instead fixed him with a very serious gaze, her head moving so that it was literally right in front of his face. It was all Harry could do not to fidget under that gaze. Finally after she had finished her inspection, Nagini spoke up in a voice that left no question of how serious she was.

~Indeed I do, Harry Potter. On top of thisss, I do not know the reasssonss behind it, but you are obvioussly misstreated. Do not think I misssed how emaciated you are...~ here she bumped her nose against his ribcage, easily feeling the protruding ribs behind the skin ~...and badly ssso. Consssidering what you have done, willingly or not, I would have expected the magical humanss to have treated you better. Inssead, you are here with hateful relativesss, obvioussly sstarved, and it isss all to clear that they do not care. Thisss, combined with our common goalsss and the fact that you are a sspeaker, hass led me to assk one very important thing of you, Harry Potter.~ Here she paused for effect...he needed to know how serious this was. ~If you would let me, I wish to become your familiar.~

At her request, Harry's mind went blank for a moment, then came alive again when Nagini bumped his chest again. _'She wants to be my familiar...I don't know a lot about that, but isn't Fawkes Dumbledore's familiar? Better know exactly what this entails before I jump in...heh...I really don't belong in Gryffindor.' ~_Wow...well before I agree to anything, what exactly does this mean? What would happen, advantages, disadvantages, you know?~

His answer seemed to greatly please Nagini, if the gleam in her eye and the pleased hiss that escaped her was any indication. ~Very good, Harry. I would have been disssapointed if you jusst agreed without knowing what you were agreeing too. Cunning is a trait we sssnakess admire, and you have jusst sshown ssome. Now, asss to what exactly me becoming your familiar would do, there are sseveral thingsss. Firsst and foremosst, we would be telepathically linked, enabling us to talk to eachother in our mindss insstead of vocally. We would alsso be able to sshare memoriess, but only if the other agreesss to thiss. My ssensess are your ssensess, and vice verssa; it iss ssomewhat like having two bodiess at once, though not to ssuch a degree. We will alsso be able to feel each other'ss emotionss, and unlike our thoughtss we will not be able to hide thesse. Lasst put quite posssibly the mosst important thing isss that we will be bonded, and will not be able to break thisss bond. If it were to break, either by dying or by ssome magical meanss, it would feel paramount to having part of your ssoul ripped out. If one wasss to die, the other would mosst likely follow ssoon after out of missery. Ass I ssaid before, thiss iss a very important decisssion to make, Harry.~ Here sshe finisshed and waited for his response.

For poor Harry, he was having a hard time soaking this all in. _'Bloody hell...she really wasn't kidding when she said it was serious.'_ Giving Nagini his attention once more, he spoke. ~This...this is a lot to take in. Can I have the night to think over this? I can give you your answer in the morning, but I really need to weigh my options.~

Once more she let out a pleased hiss at this. _'Once more he wants to carefully think things through...oh yes, though he may not realize it, he acts shockingly similar to a serpent himself.'_ ~I would have took back my requesst had you _not _assked for ssome time to think on thisss. The fact that you desssire the entire night to do sso only pleasssess me more, of coursse you can.~

Nodding, Harry slipped out from underneath her girth and headed towards his bed and prepared to get in it...though he doubted he would get much sleep tonight. Once he was in, a thought occurred to him and he nearly smacked himself for his rudeness. Sitting up, he looked at Nagini, still coiled on the floor, and spoke up.

~I'm sorry, I completely forgot my manners due to all the night's revelations. I know tonight is unusually cool for summer, and the floor is most certainly not the warmest of places. That combined with the fact you are cold blooded...you can sleep with me if you want and use my body heat to warm yourself. But please stay under the covers...the last thing I need is one of my relatives coming in and seeing a massive snake on my bed with me still in it.~

She was honestly taken by surprise...he was thoughtful enough to offer her his warmth? _'Yes, I think I have made the right decision if he cares enough about me already. The bond would only solidify this.'_ However, she was not one to turn down so generous an offer...and besides, he was right; now that she was no longer coiled on him the floor was unpleasantly cold. ~Thank you Harry, and I think I sshall take you up on your offer; it isss getting chilly down here.~ With that, she uncoiled herself and slithered towards his bed before traveling up it and under the covers where she draped her body over his, the majority of her girth laying on the sides of his body; she was not ignorant of her own girth and his complete lack of it.

As for Harry himself, he was amazed at just how big she was...while she was not particularly thick, she was very, _very_ long; a little over 30 feet if he had to guess. And when all 30 feet of said snake was draped all over his body and the rest of his bed? _'Looks like I'm not doing any moving for the rest of the night..but at least I'll be warm...very warm.' _And indeed, with her girth draped all over him, it felt like a heated, scaly blanket was draped over him...albeit a heavy one. After both were settled in, all was quiet for a while as Harry just lay there and Nagini slowly fell asleep. When he felt her coils relax and her breathing even out, he gave a small sigh. _'Well, at least one of us will be getting a good sleep tonight.'_ And with that, he began thinking about his upcoming decision.

_'Well, I can't really say I'm surprised...I mean, after all that has happened over the years at Hogwarts I am too used to weird things happening around me. But anyways, back on topic: bonded; to be or not to be?' _Harry snorted at his poor comparison to Shakespeare. _'Pfft, even Shakespeare didn't have this much drama! Now then,she said we'd be telepathically linked...not too many negatives there, and plenty of positives. I'd rather not think about the reactions I would get if I was constantly hissing to myself...on second thought it would probably make people leave me alone, but it wouldn't be a good idea. The only real downside to it is the fact that I'll have yet ANOTHER being that has access to my mind...but unlike he-who-has-to-many-bloody-hyphens, Nagini wouldn't be in there to show me disturbing visions; if anything, she'd be in there to prevent them. So telepathic link: good._

_'Alright, next we have the possibility to share each-other's memories...that can go either way. On one hand, I have absolutely no idea what her life has been like, though I'm pretty sure the past twelve years were not pleasant for her at all...though they may hold valuable insight into the inner workings of Voldemort's faction if she was held there...but I wouldn't intrude if she didn't want me to. And to be honest I'm not sure I want her seeing my memories. Its not that I don't trust her; if she wanted me dead I'd have been so long before now. Its simply the fact that my memories aren't all that good...I used to enjoy the memories of meeting my friends and such, but after finally seeing that what I thought were friends have been manipulating me all this time, those memories just bring anger. Well, there is Neville...he hasn't done anything, and I'm not sure about Hermione...though her blind trust in authority figures is disturbing. Oh well...if Nagini wants to view them I'll just give her a good warning before agreeing. So thought-sharing: good._

_'Next up we have...the sharing of our senses...well that'd be cool. Though it will probably be a disadvantage at first, taking things in from two different perspectives and completely different senses, but once we've adapted it should be a huge benefit. Not too much thought on this one, sharing senses: good._

_'Then we have feeling each-other's emotions...well this one admittedly makes me a bit uncomfortable, especially since we won't be able to hide them from the other. This means that we will be completely open to each other; trust won't be an issue because we will have no choice...hold on. Trust wont be an issue. I can confide in her with absolute confidence, and can trust her to tell what I need to know! That's absolutely perfect, and completely opposite of what I'm used to...hands down, feeling each-other's emotions: very good._

_'And now is the last, and by far the most important one: we'd be bonded. Breaking the bond, either by magical means or death, will essentially be the same as killing the both of us...definitely a big deal. Of course, this probably means we'll be damn near inseparable; after all, if one were to die, the other would soon follow. On a more positive note, I'd have someone closer to me than any other; after Sirius died I thought I would never experience what it felt like to have a family again, but this will be very close to it...maybe even stronger. The only difference? My new family would consist of a 30-foot long snake instead of a human...meh, it certainly wouldn't be boring. Right...so I'm ok with being bonded too...that's five out of five...what the hell, I'll do it! Now I just have to figure out a way of moving her around without attracting too much attention...we'll work it out tomorrow. _With that, Harry finally decided to get some rest as well, positive that tomorrow would be a turning point in his life...he truly had no idea just how right he was. Unlike the difficulty he experienced most of the time when he tried to get to sleep, this time he found the heavy warmth of Nagini pressing down on him to be quite comfortable and soon joined her in Morpheus' realm, but this time his dreams were soothing, not horrific.

~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~

As Harry awoke, he almost groaned at the wonderful sleep he'd just had. _'Blimey...I don't think I've slept that good since...well ever!'_ When Harry attempted to sit up however, he was met with a great weight on his entire body...a great, _scaly_ weight. He was about to struggle when his mind decided to wake up, and what happened early this morning came back to him. Despite his current living conditions and the people he lived with, Harry beamed. He had a feeling that things were going to change, and maybe even go his way for once.

Unfortunately, his brief struggle had managed to awaken Nagini, whom after a few brief moments of reorienting herself proceeded to stretch...which Harry found was unlike anything else he'd ever felt. The only way he could describe it was that a spasm slowly went down her entire length starting just below her head, and considering she was draped all over him...it was an odd experience. But that didn't mean he had to be rude to her and not greet her. ~Good morning Nagini, sleep well?~

The massive snake gave one last spasm for good measure before she decided to reply. ~Yesss, your body head made it quite comfortable, thank you Harry.~ At this she removed her head from the covers and arched it over his; after all, he still could not move.

He gave her a smile at this, he wasn't used to being given gratitude, especially for so small a favor, but he would take it where he could get it. Now it was time to make her even more happy. ~Its no problem, and I'm glad you found it so comfortable...after all, if you had not you would be quite uncomfortable for many nights to come.~

His answer made her jerk before she angled her head even more, looking down at him with an intensity he had never seen before. ~You mean...~ However before she could finish, Harry did it for her. ~Yes, I would very much like for you to become my familiar, Nagini.~

For the rest of his life, Harry would swear that a grin appeared on her snout, regardless of the fact her anatomy did not give her such an ability.

**Ending Notes: **And there you have it, chapter one complete! Hope you liked it, and I hope you will continue to like it...this story has a long, LONG way to go before completion. That being said, if you liked it say so, and if you didn't like it state just as much, but with a reason so I can consider your point of view, especially if you are not the only one to say so. Remember, constructive criticism is very much appreciated, and will be heeded if the point is valid: just look at the reviews and my responses on my other story (responses are always after ending notes). A reviewer (two actually) gave a valid point, I agreed, posted a poll to see what everyone wanted, and changed my writing format to fit the consensus. So, once again if you bring a valid point, I may just very well heed your idea. To end this little monologue, hopefully I will be able to update this story weekly, and the average chapter will be around 10,000 words in length; this was shorter because it is in essence the prologue. I am actively writing for both this story and my original one simultaneously; that's 20,000 words a week combined with a full-time job...so there may be the occasional late update, I'm not infallible. I hope you enjoyed it, and there will be much more to come...next time: escaping, heritage, and maybe shopping!


	2. When the Puppet Breaks Free

**Hello once again! Here's the second chapter, and I plan for a lot of things to happen in this one...to be honest I'm not sure I'll be able to fit it within 10,000 words...eh, if I need to I'll just break it into two or more chapters, but we'll see how things go. Now before I get things rolling, I received a bit of constructive criticism from a review...thank you. Really, you brought up a good point and I think I need to reply before I start this chapter.**

**Blah: When you mean how I insert thought during an action sequence, do you mean like when Harry and Nagini had the brief struggle? If so...if it wasn't for Harry's thoughts on the strange glow in her eyes, he would have most likely perished. However, I completely understand and agree with you that my insertion of Harry's mingling with the Slytherins was bad. I had intended for everything up to the ending of his fifth year to be canon while my story would take off from then on...I'm honestly not sure why I put it in there, but I will edit it, thanks for pointing it out. Now, as for the way Nagini talks...its intentional. As the story is listed, some of the things in here will be supernatural...you can consider this one of them; in this story there is a strong possibility of some magical creatures being just as intelligent, if not more intelligent than most wizards and witches. One again, thank you for your insight.**

**Now then, one last thing before I start...starting from this chapter onwards, when Nagini (or any serpent for that matter) speaks, I will not be adding an additional "s" or two in their words, unless they are very...pissed at the time, then I may add it to emphasize their anger. But other than that...it really is just too much of a pain, and slows down my writing incredibly checking to see if I missed adding any "s" in a word...if there is an overwhelming response in the reviews for me to switch back, I will...but like I said, it must be overwhelming. And without further ado, on with the story!**

"Blah blah blah" – Normal speaking.

_'Blah blah blah' – _Thoughts.

'Blah blah blah' – Thought-speak.

_~Blah blah blah_~ – Parseltongue (or layman's terms, snake-speak)

"_blah blah blah" - _Spells.

-(location)- : this tells the reader where the scene changed to.

~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~

^Obviously denotes a scene change^

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to the Harry Potter book series. However, I DO own this fanfiction story.**

**When the Puppet Breaks Free of its Strings**

Thought Harry was not aware of it, he had greatly relieved Nagini with his acceptance. For while Harry thought she had fallen asleep not long after she got in his bed, she had in fact merely played the part...slacking her muscles and steadying her breathing was not difficult, especially with his body heat helping her relax. She truly did not go to sleep until an hour later, the time spent worrying that he would reject her offer, for while it would not be the end of the world it would gravely wound her. Harry most likely did not grasp just how much she put on the line when she offered to become his familiar; it was in essence giving him her complete trust, along with her life...offering someone such a gift and having them reject it would have crushed her already fragile mentality after her enslavement. Thankfully what she had feared did not come to pass, and instead Harry had accepted her offer with enthusiasm; all in all, her morning was looking quite nice.

~_Thank you Harry, I was worried you would not accept my offer...but I am glad this is not the case._~

Harry's face lost a bit of it's mirth when she said she had worried about his decision, but it quickly gained it once more upon hearing the genuine happiness in her sibilant hisses.

~_Why would I reject it? I'll finally have someone I can trust completely without fear of being deceived...something that is a rare occurrence in my life._~ His voice lost a bit of its mirth at the end, his mind wandering back to his recent revelations.

Nagini grew slightly worried at the abrupt shift in his demeanor, not to mention what he said. ~_Are you alright Harry? And what do you mean by such being a rare occurrence?_~ Her words managed to snap Harry out of his reminiscing while giving her a smile that did not quite reach his eyes before he responded.

~_Well, I figure since we are soon going to be bonded, why not just see for yourself...that is if you want to. Speaking of which, what exactly do we have to do? I'd rather get this done before my relatives wake up...I doubt they'd be happy if they came in on me doing something "freakish"._~

Nagini bobbed her head in an imitation of a nod at this...from the way he spoke of these 'relatives' of his, she would most certainly not want to meet them either. ~_I think I'll accept your offer of viewing your memories...after all I am curious about your life. Now, as for what we have to do, it is fairly simple but requires complete trust in each-other. We must exchange our blood by pressing two open wounds onto each-other. Now if it were this simple there would many who are bonded, and most by accident. While we exchange our blood, we must both focus completely on our desire to bond; the magics within both of our bodies will sense this and to the rest._~

_'Huh...thought it would have been a little more complex...but it makes sense; a bond could only form if both parties wished it so; quite handy.' _His little mind dialogue finished, Harry nodded and responded back to her. ~_You're right, it is quite simple, and I'm ready if you are...but I'll need to get up to find something sharp to cut us with._~ He finished with a smirk, watching as Nagini seemed to look away in embarrassment before she slithered off of his form.

~_Y-yes, sorry about that, I had forgotten that I was lying on you this whole time._~

Harry simply laughed and waved it off while he began to rummage in his trunk; unlike the past years, this time they let him put it in his room, claiming, "We won't have your freakish things fouling up our normal house!" Finally he came upon his knife he used for cutting up potions ingredients; sure he wasn't _supposed_ to use it for other things, but he could simply get another one if he needed to. Quickly, Harry grabbed the knife and returned to the bed where Nagini still lay coiled on the end of the bed. ~_I'll try to make the incision as small as possible, ok? Are you ready for this, Nagini?_~

All Harry got in reply was a simple bob of her head. So, taking a deep breath, Harry slit open his palm with the knife, hissing in pain at the sensation while feeling his blood begin to run down his hand. Quickly, he moved over to Nagini and with a gentleness he did not allow himself, have her a shallow cut on her hide, enough to bleed a good amount but not anything serious. He heard Nagini give off her own hiss of pain, but simply concentrated on what he wanted as he brought his bleeding hand closer to her wound. '_I want to be bonded to Nagini, I accept the consequences.'_ This ran in a loop in his head as his hand approached her, unknowingly mirroring Nagini's own thought, just with the name being different. When his hand finally made contact with her scales nothing happened at first, making Harry worry that something went wrong. However, his worry soon changed to wonder when he felt _something_ happening...it was almost as if he could literally feel Nagini's blood mingling with his own while his magic did the same...it was an odd, yet entirely pleasant feeling. Just when he thought the bonding process was going to end, both of their magics finalized the merge, slamming into each-other and causing both Harry and Nagini to fly in different directions; Harry himself skidding across the floor and bumping into his door, while Nagini found herself as a heap of coils underneath the barred window.

All was quiet, both trying to figure out exactly just _what_ had happened. Finally, Harry slowly propped himself up on his elbows, looking around in a slight daze. 'Wow...never expected that to happen...I wonder if it worked?' As soon as he was done thinking this, he heard a very familiar hissing laugh...only it wasn't coming from outside his head.

'I would say it did work, Harry.' The very amused voice of Nagini replied in Harry's head, prompting him to involuntarily yelp in surprise. '….Nagini? Is that you?' His reply was yet another amused hissing, followed by her voice once more. 'Who else would it be? Do you have anyone else inside this head of yours?' At this Harry gave a morbid chuckle...well she did ask. 'Well to be honest...at times I do; but he most certainly doesn't have a voice like yours, and he rarely drops in for a chat...really he just likes dropping me the occasional nightmarish vision or two.'

His statement caused the amused hissing in his mind to come to an abrupt halt; the bored acceptance by which he spoke of such worried Nagini greatly. This being the case, she decided that now was a very good time to see just what his life was like. 'Harry...if you would allow me, can I view your memories? I won't go through your entire life; that would take far too long. Instead, I would go through the times that your mind has deemed important, that way I will know only what is important.'

This made Harry pause for a moment as he held himself back from instinctively refusing...the last person to do such was that damnable man Snape. However it was this thought that made him pause...that was Snape; a man who hated his guts because he looked like his father. The being that wanted to look at his memories now was his new familiar, one which he had to place absolute trust in for the bond to work...and since it did, why should he renege on his commitment now? In addition to this all, hadn't he already given her his permission earlier to do so? His decision made, he responded in the affirmative. 'Yes you may...you are now my familiar, and as such I need to trust you fully and vice-versa. What do I need to do?'

While Nagini was touched at his trust, she had more important matters to attend to at the moment, and so simply replied. 'Just open your mind to me...this will be my first time entering another's mind, but from what I have been told, doing so is instinctual to those with a familiar bond.' When she felt what could only be described as his mind becoming more 'open', she felt a tug of some sort on her mind and concluded that this was what she had been informed of, and so allowed it to drag her mind into Harry's memories, where she began to watch Harry's past as a spectator, first going through the earliest of his memories, then his...abusive...childhood at the Dursleys, and then onto his years through Hogwarts, small snippets of memories subconsciously deemed important by Harry thrown in here and there. Slowly but surely Nagini was able to put together the puzzle that was Harry's past...and to her growing horror it was rife with things no grown man, let alone a child should have to suffer.

As Nagini was engulfed in his memories, Harry was besides himself with worry. When Nagini finished speaking, all was quiet for a moment before she simply fell limp, her coils sagging as the once firm muscle loosened when its host was not longer in control. To Harry it looked as if Nagini had simply dropped dead, and the horror which struck him at the thought honestly shocked him...he had only known her since last night! Regardless, this did not stop him from literally dashing the short distance to her before he skidded on his knees next to her form and gathered what he could in his lap. Once more he was reminded of just how _big _she was as he only managed to fit her head and a few more feet of her body on his lap. He quickly put the back of his hand in front of her nostrils and sagged in relief as he felt the air moving in and out...she was alive.

Now that he had deemed it alright to take his attention away from her form for a bit, he wondered what just happened...when Snape entered his mind he was always dragged in as well, forced to view his horrible memories. The only thing he could feel was the odd feeling that someone else was in his head, but the fact brought comfort to him instead of the usual horror he would feel. _'I'll take this over that mind-rape Snape calls Legilimency any day!' Comforted_ by the knowledge that it was his familiar that was in his mind and not someone else, he glanced at his cracked clock and saw it was still fairly early; considering it was an off day for Vernon...the tub of lard had proclaimed as much for nearly an hour last night...both he and his family would be asleep for some time yet...another hour or two he theorized.

Reassured that they would not be having any unwanted visitors anytime soon, Harry laid his head against the wall behind him as he kept Nagini's head and some of her body in his lap. He idly noticed that for a cold blooded creature, Nagini was surprisingly warm...and as he waited for her to come back from his mind, this same warmth slowly lulled him into sleeping once more.

When Harry awoke again, it was mainly due in fact to an angry hissing coming from is lap. He quickly sat up and looked to the door, thinking his relatives barged in on them, but upon seeing no one else with them in the room, he glanced at the clock and noticed just over an hour had passed by. Now he was confused...what made Nagini so angry? He could literally _feel_ her anger through their bond...it was so strong that he himself was starting to get slightly angry just from her anger! He tried talking to her through the bond but she wasn't listening, so he decided to go the manual way...he just really hoped she didn't bite him.

Harry gathered himself for what he was about to do, and then before he could lose his courage he grabbed her head with both hands and forced her to look at him before he spoke out loud in parseltongue.

~_Nagini! Nagini snap out of it! Look at me, what is wrong?_~

Thankfully for Harry she did not bite him, but it did seem to snap her out of whatever funk she was in. Her angry hissing abruptly stopped, and her eyes seemed to focus and come out of focus several times before her eyes finally found his and locked onto them. Up this close, Harry could admit that the amber color of her eyes were very striking, and he himself found them beautiful in color; but he had not doubts that he only thought so because he knew she wouldn't hurt him...if it were anyone else, they would have probably pissed themselves by now.

After staring at his eyes a moment more Nagini finally spoke up, in a voice oddly enough filled with...wonder? ~_...Harry? Is that you, I mean the real you? This isn't another memory is it?_~

Whatever answer he had been expecting, this wasn't it. From the way she talked it was almost as if she was stu- _'__Oh bloody hell...if she was stuck in MY memories...just what did she see, and how long did it seem to her? I know from experience that time spend sifting through memories via ligilimens is far longer inside your mind than outside, and she was in there for over an hour!__' _Unfortunately for Harry, he had yet to perfect what thoughts he wanted heard and which he wanted to keep private at the moment, and therefore Nagini overheard his little revelation. So when she replied back outloud, he was quite surprised, but that soon gave way to horror.

~_So this IS the real you! I'm out...I'm finally out...wait! You said I was only in your memories for a little over an hour? But...but that's impossible, it felt like days, a week even! How can only a mere hour have passed?~ _

Harry was simply left speechless at the sheer panic he could hear in her voice. He might have known her since last night, but he knew for a fact that for her to lose her composure to _this_ extent...just what did she see? As his mind went over the possibilities, his face reflected his growing horror at just what she could have seen, and so when he spoke it came out in a shaky tone.

~_N-Nagini...just what did you see? How much of my memories did you see?~_

When her gaze found his once more, the sheer amounts of anguish within those amber orbs gave him the answer he feared most...for his own gaze held the exact same thing. Though this did not help prepare him for the sharp pain that clenched his gut when she replied in a soft voice.

~_I saw what you subconsciously deemed as important throughout your life. While this included every happy moment, no matter how small...it also included every sad moment, every frightening moment, every...beating...there were so many Harry! How could you stand such..~ _

At the end she merely trailed off...Harry did not know until now that snakes could actually 'choke up' on emotions, but it seemed that in Parseltongue such was indeed possible. When her head lilted to the side and her eyes' protective coverings slid over them, it was too much to Harry...what he feared had happened DID happen, and Nagini..._HIS FAMILIAR_...experienced, or at least viewed, all of his horrible memories. His mind momentarily wondered what would happen if his relatives came in this moment, but he quickly crushed such thoughts. _'If they come in then let them! I don't give a bloody damn right now!'_ With his resolve regained, his hands once more sought out Nagini's head and once they found purchase, drew a startled Nagini into an awkward hug. Was is weird? Yes. Was it awkward? Very much so. Did Harry care? Not in the least. Right now, all he cared about was helping out his familiar, and so he hugged her while sending whatever soothing feeling he could dredge up across the bond. They stayed that way for a few minutes, one trying everything they could to comfort the other, while the other slowly calmed down from her hysterics.

Once Nagini had calmed down and regained her composure, she broke out of Harry's hug and simply hovered a foot or two from his face before she spoke up once more.

~_Thank you Harry...I needed that, regardless of how awkward it was, it did help. Thankfully for the both of us, I not only viewed the bad memories, but the good as well, few they may be. But most importantly, I viewed your knowledgeable memories, and can confidently say that what you know of the magical world, so do it.~_

Harry's eyes boggled at her last statement. She knew what he knew just from viewing his memories? That was...extremely useful, not to mention convenient! When she continued talking he payed attention once more, and noticed the change in her tone...she was...angry..well that was an understatement, but he was just glad it wasn't aimed at him.

~_Thisss being sssaid...I ssee now what you mean by when you sssaid "Not being decceived wasss a rare occurrenccce"...but I am not sssure to what extent you realize you were led. Harry, your entire life hasss been controlled by your Headmasster, Albusss Dumbledore! Everything...the abusse, the thingsss that happened over your yearss at Hogwartsss...and yet you sstill remain under hisss thumb! No more! I refusse to let you be controlled by that...thing ever again!~ _When she ended her rant, she was surprised to find a smile on Harry's face, but before she could question it he beat her to the punch.

~_I know. I realized this just a few days before you came, and I was thinking of ways to get out from under his thumb. I'm glad you agree with me on this matter.~_

While she was glad he completely agreed with her, they now had the problem of finding some way to escape. Thanks to Harry's memories, they both knew the moment he stepped out of the house Dumbledore and his lackeys would know it, not to mention that at least one was constantly watching the house. She was about to voice the problem when Harry presented one of his own.

~_Erm...before we start planning how to escape, just how exactly am I supposed to sneak you out? I mean no offense, but you're massive and I really doubt I'd be able to get you out without someone noticing.~ _His only answer was a hissing laugh before her entire form seemed to shimmer as it...shrank. When the shimmer was gone, Nagini was left a little over eight feet long; still a very large snake, but no longer the gargantuan thirty-or-so feet she once was. Harry could only stutter at this new development. ~_H-how d-did you..~_ He was cut off by Nagini as she finished for him.

~_Shrink? One of the advantages of being a magical snake is that we can change our size using our latent magic. Of course we cannot increase our size past our true size, but we can shrink quite a degree. If I tried, I could have shrunk to just over two feet, but I dislike being so small.~_

Harry stared only a moment more before smiling...well that was one problem taken care of! Standing up, he spoke up to Nagini once more.

~_Well that makes things a bit easier! Now come on up, you can't be comfortable on that floor, and now I should be able to carry your weight.~_

Although surprised by the offer, Nagini wasn't about to turn it down. So she quickly slithered the short distance to Harry's legs and proceeded to wind herself up his legs, then his torso, and finally her head came to a rest on his left shoulder, while she wrapped the remainder of her body around his midsection.

Harry grunted slightly as she settled down; an eight foot snake still weighed quite a bit to him...but he was glad; he needed to get in fighting shape anyways if he wanted to break away from the old coot. After shifting around a little to get used to her weight, he began to converse with her telepathically about just how to go about escaping.

'Alright Nagini, we both know that we have to get out of this house first, preferable without attracting any attention to ourselves from Dumbledore's lackeys. But before we do that we need to see if we can find out just who is watching me for the order; if it was Moody we'd already be buggered; he would immediately see you with that eye of his...think you're up to the task?'

His answer was a haughty snort in his head, as if such a thing was trifle...which it probably was. 'You forget just who you're talking to Harry, snakes have some of the best sensory organs there is, and you can help as well; remember, you can use my senses as well.'

Harry almost smacked himself in the head for that one...he had completely forgot that they were essentially one entity now that they were bonded. He quickly moved over to the window and silently opened it...and reeled back at the amount of sensory input he was receiving with Nagini's senses. After a few minutes of getting adjusted to the amount of things he could hear and smell, both he and Nagini began to sift through the smells while listening for anything out of place. When Harry heard the faint sound of snoring and smelt the unmistakable scent of alcohol he smiled; it would seem that luck was on his side today.

'Nagini, I think I know who is guarding me today and we're in luck. The only one I know who drinks and sleeps on the job is Mundungus Fletcher, and he's by far the most worthless man I've met. So now all we need to figure out is how to get past my relatives...I can conceal you in my school robe, but we need to get past them without a fight; one that might wake up Fletcher.'

Nagini was quiet for a moment as she thought about how they could get past his relatives. _'Hmmm...their sheer hate for anything magical would make any approach quite difficult, especially if they were to catch sight of me...' _However she paused as she considered what she just said...that was it!

'Harry, I think we might just be able to use your relatives' hate for all things magical to our advantage. If I remember from your memories correctly, while they certainly hold an abnormal amount of hate for you...their hate of the magical world in general is even greater, am I right?' Harry's snort suggested she was right, but she waited just to make sure.

'Their hate for the magical world probably dwarf's Voldemort's hate for muggles. After all, I'm just _one '_freak' and they barely tolerate my presence. But millions of 'freaks'? In short, yes you are _very _correct Nagini.'

She hissed in pleasure at this...it made the plan all the more easy to pull off. 'Excellent. Then the plan should be fairly simple and almost guaranteed to work. We will simply use this extreme hate of theirs to our advantage; by offering your relatives a summer free from your presence in exchange for a simple car ride to a street close to the Leaky Cauldron, we not only escape, but we do it with their agreement.' When she finished Nagini was greatly amused by the gobsmacked expression on Harry's face.

Harry stood there for a moment with his mouth hanging open slightly...it was so simple! Not to mention clever, and ironic...by using his relatives hate, they would unknowingly be helping him...he was really starting to enjoy Nagini's presence. He let a devious smirk stretch its way across his face while he gently stroked the top on Nagini's head, much to her enjoyment if the low hissing was any indication.

'I like it...I like it a LOT! I think we're going to be a great team, you and I. Now then, no use just standing here, might as well get ready to enact our plan...it shouldn't be long until my relatives wake up.' As Nagini preened under the compliments, Harry rifled through his trunk until he found his school robe and draped it over his form, the cloak just barely covering Nagini's head when she rested her head against his shoulder. True to Harry's prediction, they needed to only wait ten minutes more before they heard the annoying sounds of alarm clocks, followed by the barely audible footfalls of his anorexic aunt as she headed downstairs to prepare breakfast for her husband and her oh so lovely son "Dudders". As both Harry and Nagini caught the scent of cooking meats drifting from downstairs, it wasn't long before the smell woke up the titans. The first clue as what could only be compared to the hull of a massive ship groaning as they got out of bed, quickly followed by twin house-shaking -WHUMPS-. Not even a minute passed after this before two doors were slammed open and the house shook as two very large masses lumbered across the hall, down the stairs and finally could be heard sitting down at the dining table downstairs. Nagini was quite stunned at this; it was one thing to see their girth in memories, but it was an entirely different matter to see it in action. To think that beings of such great girth could move so fast when food was the prize...its was a frightening thought. Meanwhile, Harry just sat on the bed stroking Nagini, as if this was normal...which for him, it was.

Harry waited ten minutes after he could hear the food being served downstairs before he got up to go downstairs; it would be best if Vernon was happily stuffed before he gave his offer. Before he could walk out the door though, he heard a tapping at the window. Turning around, he nearly smacked himself as he realized it was Hedwig! Opening the window, he gently scratched her chest and he in kind have his ear an affectionate nibble. Unfortunately he needed to head downstairs, and so as he continued scratching her he told Hedwig what was going on.

"Hey girl...I'm sorry to tell you this, but you'll have to follow me in the air for a bit; if all goes to plan I won't be coming back here, and we won't have to put of with my relatives anymore." Hedwig seemed to accept this well enough, but when she caught sight of Naginin she hopped back hooting loudly. Harry was quick to reassure her that Nagini was a good friend, and so Hedwig flew out the window once more, but not before giving Nagini a warning click of her beak. Harry laughed at the over-protectiveness of his owl, but soon closed the window and headed out his room.

As he descended the steps, he smirked at the small additions to Nagini's plan he added; if all went well it would further help them and maybe get himself a small fraction of much-needed revenge. When he was finally downstairs, he quietly walked into the entrance of the dining room where all three of his relatives were sitting, two with mounds of food still being devoured, and one with hardly anything at all "to keep her frame".

Aunt Petunia was the first to notice his entrance, and her pasty white skin seemed to impossibly grow a shade whiter as she took in the sight of her nephew. Gone was the meek boy her family had shaped over the years through beatings and neglect. She had noticed a distinct change in the boy when he first arrived this summer; a look in his eyes that caused both her and her family to be weary of him, thus locking him in his room. It wasn't as if his frame had changed any; he was still as scrawny as a flagpole...but it was his eyes that now that frightened her. When he first came back his eyes just held a weariness of the world and a fragile mentality...whereas now they held a cruel glint to them; a promise of pain should they try and re-enact their old ways upon him. Soon the rest of the dining room's occupants noticed her gaze and followed it before blanching as well. While Dudley and Vernon certainly weren't the brightest of beings, even they had enough intelligence to tell that Harry was not one to be messed with at the moment. However, when Vernon saw that his freakish cousin was wearing clothes that those..._people_...wore, that danger sense temporarily took a vacation. His face turned an impressive shade of violet before he finally found his voice and shouted at his nephew.

"BOY! What are you doing down here, especially wearing that freakish clothing? You will get your sorry self back into that room upstairs before I make you! I don't know how you got out, but I'll fix that soon enough!"

Harry winced at the volume, dearly hoping it did not wake Fletcher, but otherwise remained unaffected by Vernon's explosion. However, he needed his dear relatives to know he was being dead serious if he wanted to pull this off. So he slowly withdrew his wand from his cloak sleeve, observing how Vernon's face quickly lost its violet hue and returned to a sickly white as both he and his family watched the stick as if it were death itself...which it very well could be. Once he made sure he had their undivided attention, he finally spoke up in a chilling tone.

"Now now uncle...with an attitude like that we won't get very far in our dealings today now will we?"

This of course caused Vernon to splutter out, "W-What dealings boy?"

Harry smiled...seems Vernon could listen a little after all. "Don't look so worried, this will not just benefit me, but you as well. You see, what I offer is simple: you get to have a summer devoid of my presence." The entire family perked up at that, and Vernon no longer looked angry, but contemplative. "Ah, I see that got your attention. Now as with all deals, in order to receive one must give, and this deal is no different. However, thankfully for you what I want is very, very simple: I merely want a car drive to within a block or so of Charing Cross Road in London, and at worst you won't hear from me until next summer. But this is the good part; at best...you will never hear from me again." Vernon actually _grinned_ at this...Harry just barely managed to restrain a shudder. "Now to give my last incentive to drive this deal home; I have no doubts that you will be visited by some of my fellow 'freaks' not long after I am gone. When they arrive, they will most likely ask you where I am. You can tell them whatever you want, but telling them the truth would be best; that you simply dropped me off in London. However that is not all you have to tell them; if it would please you, you can tell them all just what you think of our kind, hell you can even proclaim what you have done to me! In doing so, you can be assured that my fellow 'freaks' will be crushed to learn of what happened...you'll be harming freaks, Vernon." Harry finished with such a sickly sweet smile it should have given anyone looking at it a cavity, but his words did the trick.

Petunia maintained some form of composure, thought the gleam in her eye gave away her anticipation. Dudley didn't try at all, the mini-Shamu actually shot out of his seat and whooped, while Vernon had a twisted grin that nearly split his face in two. When he spoke up, it would be the first and last time he spoke amicably to Harry.

"Boy, I think that's the first good thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth! When do you plan to go?"

Harry merely grinned, walked back upstairs and quickly came back down with his trunk in tow before simply saying, "Now."

Vernon needed no further prompting. With speed that one his size should not have, he grabbed his car keys, nearly yanked the front door off the hinge and waddled to the car before getting in and starting it up, with Harry fast on his heels. Not even a minute had passed before Harry put his trunk in the boot of the car and they were down the road, with one sleeping Mundungus Fletcher none the wiser.

~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~

-(A block away from Charing Cross Road)-

People openly stared as a car screeched to a halt, a boy in a cloak got out, grabbed a large trunk from the car's boot, and didn't even get to close the boot before the car peeled out down the road once more, the speed closing the boot regardless. However people have seen stranger things, and the boy didn't seem to mind at all, so everyone went back to their business.

As soon as the car left, the subtle shaking Harry felt on his torso and left shoulder became spasms as Nagini tried to keep in her laughter, only managing to quiet it down to small hisses that went unnoticed in the busy streets of London. Harry simply smirked before he began walking towards where he knew the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron was, keeping an eye out for clothing shops on the way; he needed something to cover his obvious attributes when he entered the Leaky Cauldron and ultimately Diagon Alley. As he walked, Nagini spoke up telepathically, the laughter all to clear in her voice.

'Ohhh...you _are _cleaver aren't you? You act more like a snake than some Gryffindor lion, you know that? The way you manipulated your relatives was beautiful! You not only made your uncle _happily_ take you here, but you made the entire family focus on how much fun it would be for them to hurt the wizards that would come to check on you! You made them focus on that one aspect so much they didn't even realize that their words would have consequences, and to top it all off you get some revenge on those who trapped you there in the first place...you were right Harry, we _are_ going to be a great team...but just _how _did you get in Gryffindor?'

Harry's smirk only grew as she finished before he answered in a very smug tone. 'Well...if you must know, I ordered the hat to put me in Gryffindor...it had originally planned on putting me in Slytherin.'

This time Nagini could not hold in the loud hiss that escaped her as she nearly rolled off Harry in her laughter, causing a few people to flinch back from Harry's direction before the reigned it in once more. That was one memory she did not see, and she was glad she didn't...it made it all the sweeter when he told her...to think, all this time he was hiding his true personality by denying it and becoming a Gryffindor...truly ironic.

While Nagini was busy finding amusement in his words, Harry found a clothing store nearby and entered it; while he could not afford anything fancy at the moment, he could at least get something to conceal himself adequately. As he walked through the isles, his eyes fell upon a simple black overcoat that came with a deep hood. It didn't have much else to it, and that was fine with Harry; he just wanted to remain unrecognized. He quickly bought the overcoat and threw it on as he exited, putting away his school cloak as he did. Upon turning the corner onto the street where the Leaky Cauldron resided, he threw the hood over his face, concealing it in the deep shadows it cast and entered the establishment. Upon his arrival, all conversation abruptly halted as a person strode past them in a pitch black garb that completely concealed his features...with all the talks of You-know-who and death eaters, they were very suspicious of this person. However, when all he did was ignore them before tapping the bricks to enter Diagon Alley and leaving, they quickly resumed their prior conversations, none the wiser that Harry Potter just graced them with his presence.

Harry breathed a quiet sigh of relief as he quickly strode towards Gringotts...he didn't expect such a simple disguise to work so well, but he certainly didn't mind. Ignoring the suspicious looks the goblin guards threw him as he entered the bank, he quickly made his way over to the tellers, where he recognized one that just got done with the last customer in his line. Harry smiled under his hood as he made his way over to the goblin before he was standing in front of him.

Griphook eyes the man completely concealed in shadows suspiciously before speaking up. "Welcome to Gringotts, what do you need today?"

Understanding Griphook's unease, Harry pulled back his hood just enough so that only Griphook could see his face and his unmistakable scar, and replied. "I would like to speak to a manager if you wouldn't mind, Griphook." He finished with a smile, and was pleased to see the goblin's eyes widen before he regained his composure and replied in a low voice.

"Certainly Mr. Potter, but may I esquire as to why you need to speak to one? And on that matter, how is it you remember my name? It was years ago when we met and it was only briefly...most humans wouldn't even give the time of day to us."

The anger in Griphook's voice was unmistakable, and Harry could understand why. It did not make sense to him for wizards and witches to treat the beings who held their wealth so poorly. "You will find that I am not like other humans Griphook...I actually realize just who holds the magical world's wealth, and it would be foolish to make enemies of them. Now the reason I need to see a manager is to see just how much money I have in my vault."

Griphook gave Harry a considering look for a minute before he apparently found what he was looking for and gave an admittedly frightening grin before he spoke up again. "Yes...yes I can see that you are indeed different...that is good. However, I am confused by your request; you said you wanted to inquire about the wealth you have in your _vault_...yet you own several. How is it you do not know this? We send monthly statements that list what you just requested, and they are sent to one...Number Four Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey...that is your current residence, correct?"

Griphook's answer shocked Harry into silence for a moment, before the counter his hands were resting on groaned as Harry gripped it like a vice. It took him a moment to speak, and when he did there was no mistaking the rage in his voice. "Yes...that is my current residence. But I have _not _received any statements from Gringotts..._ever._"

His answer make Griphook's own eyes widen for a moment before his face became dead serious and replied in a quiet voice so that no one else could overhear them. "That...is very, _very _unusual...if you would Mr. Potter, follow me please. I need to bring this matter up with Ragnok." With this he closed off his service counter and walked towards a door in the back, with a quietly fuming Harry trailing not far behind.

While Harry was still pissed off, he did take the time to look at his surroundings; from what he could tell, most magical humans tried to spend as little time around the goblins as possible. Because of this, he was probably one of the few who had actually been back here. The walls were made of an onyx stone, and were lined with statues of famous goblins and paintings depicting gruesome battle scenes from countless wars of old, including some from the Goblin Rebellions. When Griphook entered an elevator Harry was somewhat surprised at seeing the human invention but said nothing as he followed. However upon exiting the elevator, Harry suddenly felt very inappropriately dressed.

Unlike the level they were just on, Harry had the distinct feeling that even if most humans wanted to come here, they wouldn't be permitted. The entire hallway was solid marble, with gold tracings adorning everything else...it clearly showed the affluence that the goblins possessed. It was quite possible that it was only because of his previous statements that he was here right now, about to speak with this "Ragnok"...whomever it was seemed to be quite influential. After a few more minutes of walking down winding halls stuffed with bejeweled statues and beautiful tapestries, they finally came upon a door that left Harry open-mouthed. Judging from the awe he felt through the bond, Nagini was feeling the same way. The door they stood in front of was massive for such diminutive creatures...he guessed it was a little over 8 feet tall...and was _solid gold_. If that wasn't enough, it had gems embedded throughout its surface. Off to the side of the door stood two goblins garbed in gleaming armor with very ceremonial looking halberds...Harry began to form a theory on just who this Ragnok was. Sure enough, when Griphook announced their presence, a voice from inside permitted entry and the two guards opened the massive doors with some effort. Instead of entering, Griphook merely bowed low and spoke up.

"Master Ragnok, I present to you Mr. Harry Potter...he has some urgent and very dire news concerning his account with us." Once he was done, he gave Harry what he assumed was a reassuring smile before he bowed low once more and backed out while urging Harry forward. When Harry did so, the doors behind him closed and he was left with just Ragnok and Nagnini in his presence, one of which peered at him from behind his opulent desk intently, and one which remained comfortably wrapped around Harry's body under his cloak.

Ragnok wasted no time and spoke up, his voice carrying a great deal of authority with it. "Greetings Mr. Potter, I had not expected a visit from you today. My name as you know is Ragnok, and I am both the leader of the Goblins and Head of Gringotts. Now come, sit down and tell me of this dire news concerning your account."

Harry walked towards the large desk and sat down in the high-back chair offered him with a confidence he did not quite feel. He knew that Goblins respected strength, and showing meekness here would get him nowhere...still...being in the presence of a being that controlled such resources was slightly unnerving. However, he did not come this far to back out now, and so Harry spoke firmly and clearly.

"Thank you for seeing me Master Ragnok. The reason I come today is simple: I just found out that not only do I own multiple vaults, but also that I should have been receiving monthly bank statements from Gringotts...yet I have never received any such missive."

While Ragnok's face remained as stoic as every, Harry could clearly see the spark of anger in the goblin's eyes at this information. "That...is very troubling. Lets take this one problem at a time, shall we? Now, as you are a minor and both parents are deceased, a magical guardian should have been appointed in your parent's will that would manage your accounts until you were of age to do such yourself. This does not mean they have control of your money; they merely watch over it; the only way a magical guardian could access your vaults would be with your express permission. However I am getting off the point. What bothers me is that your guardian never told you of your additional accounts...yet it is mandatory for a magical guardian to inform their beneficiary of their full financial assets by no later than six months after the age of eleven. To do otherwise would put the guardian in violation of contract."

As Ragnok finished, Harry was grinding his teeth in anger...he had an idea of just who might be his guardian. However, he needed to confirm this. "And just who is my magical guardian?"

Ragnok pulled out a file that Harry could only assume was his account and sifted through if for a few minutes before he finally found what he was looking for. The name he found would not go over well with Mr. Potter, this much he knew...however it needed to be done. "Your magical guardian, also called your trustee in financial terms, is none other than Albus Dumbledore." While Ragnok was prepared for an angry Harry, he was quite surprised when he not only heard Harry rage, but what sounded like a snake as well.

Upon this revelation Harry snapped; this was going too far...the old goat had denied him his heritage! For all he knew his parents left his something they wanted him to have, and yet that wrinkled bastard felt that he needed to be kept in the dark about yet _another _vital aspect of his life! Nagini was of like mind, and their anger only served to amplify the other's through their link. It was a good five minutes before they both calmed down, with Harry stroking Nagini's head to calm them both down, though Harry still wore a fierce scowl upon his face. When he noticed that Ragnok was looking at Nagini and was slightly nervous looking, Harry spoke up.

"Do not worry Master Ragnok; this here is Nagini and she is my familiar. She is not angry at you; she is furious at Dumbledore just like I am. Now that I know just who my trustee is the reasons for me not receiving any mail is all to clear; he has been intercepting the missives."

Ragnok's entire posture grew very grave at that and when he spoke, his voice portrayed just how serious this was. "Mr. Potter...in light of this...disturbing news, I will proceed to launch a full investigation on just what is happening to your mail. Until we have solid proof we can not accuse him of intercepting your mail. However, we do have proof that he has failed to inform you of your financial situation, as trustees are required to do. With that matter settled until a later time, I would like to perform a blood test on you to confirm your identity before I divulge anything more about your accounts."

Harry merely nodded and replied in a strained voice. "Very well, what do I have to do?"

Ragnok opened a drawer and shuffled around inside it for a little before he withdrew a large flat bowl with a ceremonial dagger and a parchment. One he filled up the bowl with water, he spoke up to Harry. "Simply let a few drops of your blood spill into the water. Once that is done I will place the parchment in the bowl, where the magic in your blood will write out your heritage."

Nodding, Harry accepted the dagger and gave himself a shallow cut on the palm, letting a few drops of blood mix with the water. After this was done his wound sealed up; obviously due to the ceremonial dagger, and watched as Ragnok placed the parchment inside. After a minute he could clearly see that there was writing on it, and Ragnok picked the parchment back up before reading what was on it. However, instead of a simple nod when his identity was confirmed, Ragnok's eyes grew wide as he read the parchment, and re-read it before slowly handing it to Harry. He quickly took it and read over what it said.

_Harry James Potter_

_Parents: James Potter, Lily (Evans) Potter_

_Noticeable Inheritances: _

_Heir Apparent to The Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter – From Father's side._

_Heir Apparent to The Most Ancient and Noble House of Peverell – From Mother's side._

His own eyed widened at the last line_. _While it was obvious he was the 'heir' of the Potter family, the fact that his mother came from an apparently well known family came as a shock to him. Looking up from the paper, he voiced his questions.

"Master Ragnok...I thought my mother was muggleborn? And for that matter, just what _is_ the House of Peverell?"

Ragnok remained silent for a moment more, gazing at Harry with such intensity that he couldn't help but squirm a bit. Just when he was about to repeat his question the head goblin spoke up in a tone that was laced with traces of awe.

"Mr. Potter...from this we can safely assume that your mother was _not_ muggleborn...at most she was half-blooded. My theory is she simply came from a long line of squibs that had long ago decided to live outside the magical world. As such, it would make sense that their heritage would be lost as time passed...but it makes this revelation no less stunning. The reason for this is simple: the line of Peverell disappeared hundreds of years ago; long before such wizarding icons such as the founders even existed. In fact, the last known Peverell was Ignotus Peverell, and he although he supposedly had a child or children, they never revealed themselves. While this is interesting, what is important in this matter is that the Peverell account is one of Gringott's first accounts ever established. The Potter account is most certainly a _very _affluent account, trailing close behind in value to that of the Malfoy account...but the Peverell account not only was more wealthy than the Malfoy account at the time it was created...it has hundreds of years of compounding interest. You, Mr. Potter, are as of now our most important client and certainly the most affluent." As he finished he barely his his smirk at the openly-gaping boy before him.

Harry made no move to hide his surprise...he was more wealthy than the _Malfoys_? Having been used to a life of poverty locked in a cupboard or small room his entire life...this was life-changing.

As he continued to gape, Nagini poked her head out from under his cloak and looked at him with amusement. While this information most certainly shocked her as well, she was far better at composing herself. The positioned her head below his chin and gently closed his jaw while she spoke up, not concerned with Ragnok hearing her hisses now that he knew she was there.

~_Close your mouth Harry, it is unbecoming of you to appear so surprised. One thing I plan on teaching you is how to hide your emotions; while they are an important part of life, there is a time and place for them. As it is, speaking to such an important being like we are not is not one of them.~_

Harry's jaw quickly snapped the rest of the way shut as she finished. Harry smiled down at Nagini and softly scratched the scales under her jaw as he replied. ~_You are right, of course. But you must admit that finding out I'm now the richest account in Gringotts is quite the shock. Nevertheless I will try to keep my emotions out of my responses when they are not needed. Before I continue with Ragnok, do you have any objections to use visiting the vaults before we leave? There may be something that can help us in our goals in those vaults.~_ When all he received in reply was a simple negative shake of her head, too engrossed in his scratching to speak, he turned his attention back to Ragnok, who had just regained his composure from hearing the parseltongue.

"Can I see a statement that tells me of my accounts now, Master Ragnok?"

Once more the goblin sifted through the large file that must have been the Potter account before he withdrew a paper and set it to the side. He then got up and walked over to a large painting before it simply shimmered and disappeared, revealing a small vault door. Upon opening it, Ragnok disappeared for a few minutes before he came back out with a very large, and _very_ old looking file and sat it on his desk. Once he found what he was looking for, he took a plank parchment and muttered something Harry couldn't catch and the parchment. Not a minute had passed before the parchment was now filled with words. When he was done Ragnok spoke up, handing the parchment to Harry.

"What I just gave to you is a brief summary of what both vaults contain. I took this information from the most recent statements from both accounts. While we are on this matter I believe I should inform you that because you are now the sole member of not one, but _two _ancient houses, you can officially be emancipated. Normally an orphaned child would become emancipated at the age of eighteen, but in the case of an orphaned child that belongs to an ancient house, things are different. Because of the financial responsibility that would fall upon them, the child in question can be emancipated as early as fourteen years of age with the only restrictions being an account manager would be assigned to them to help with financial matters. If you have any questions about your accounts please ask; meanwhile I will be going over your accounts in detail." As he finished speaking, Ragnok delved into the thick Peverell file, leaving Harry to read the parchment prepared for him.

_Audit of the accounts Potter and Peverell_

_Potter account Audit:_

_List of Properties: Godric's Hollow, Potter Manor (Unplottable)._

_Vault Monetary Holdings: _

_Galleons: 11,306,528,221 _

_Sickles: 45,560,935_

_Knuts: 23,984,213_

_Noticeable other possessions within Vault:_

_Numerous rare tomes, magical artifacts and gems._

_Recent account activity:_

_Withdrawals to following accounts:_

_Dumbledore account: 5,000 galleons monthly, began October 1982._

_Weasley account: 2,500 galleons monthly, began September 1991._

_Granger account: 1,000 galleons monthly, began November 1991._

_Peverell account Audit:_

_List of Properties: 51% stock owned in "Gem Quality Gems Mining Co."_

_Vault Monetary Holdings:_

_Galleons: 1,000,000,000_

_Sickles: 100,000,000_

_Knuts: 50,000,000_

_Noticeable other possessions within Vault:_

_Extensive library of rare tomes, many unique. Extensive amount of gemstones._

_Recent account activity: None._

As he finished reading, Harry was simply astounded by the wealth he owned in the Potter account. While he was confused that the Peverell account held less when he was told it was far more valuable...that was not his main concern at the moment. Oh no...what caused him to barely restrain a snarl of rage was the withdrawals from the Potter account. The timing was not lost on him: the withdrawals under Dumbledore began only a year after his family died; long enough to avoid suspicion but short enough to ensure plenty of buildup. To the Weasley account; the very same month he first became a friend with Ron, and before that was happily accepted by one Molly Weasley. And the Granger account: November 1991, the month after he became Hermione's friend after he saved he from the troll in the bathroom. He was not alone in his findings; Nagini was hissing up a storm in his mind, spouting curses that would have made him impressed any other time, if not for the burning of betrayal he now felt. He already knew that Dumbledore was manipulating him, so this was somewhat expected of him. However, his prior conclusions about his friends' loyalties were merely hypothesis...to see his theory proven like this was painful...more so than any Crucio could hope to inflict. However he put what Nagini suggested to practice and wiped his face clear of any emotion other than the cold glint in his eyes. When he spoke up to Ragnok, his voice was clear, unwavering and very cold, getting the goblin's attention immidiately.

"I do have a few questions Master Ragnok. First and most importantly...these withdrawals from the Potter account: who authorized them?"

His question drew a frown from Ragnok initially, however when he realized the situation his already-intimidating visage twisted into a sneer of hate, and replied in a terse tone. "The withdrawals could only have been authorized by direct permission or signature from the beneficiary of the account: you. I am assuming you never authorized these withdrawals, did you?"

Harry's tone was absolutely frigid when he replied; the angry hissing of Nagini only serving to amplify his angered appearance. "I most certainly did not. I was bloody two years old when the first withdrawals to the Dumbledore account began, and on that matter I have never been aware of any of these withdrawals. To prove such: I, Harry James Potter, do hereby swear on my life and magic that I had no knowledge prior to this conversation of any such withdrawals being made, so mote it be." Upon finishing, green tendrils of magic encased Harry before disappearing. Had he lied, he would have died where he sat. With his own truthfulness proven, Harry went in for the kill. "Now that you have witnessed my wizard's oath, you know that these transactions illegal. As such, Master Ragnok I request that you use any and every means of punishing the offending parties and retrieving my stolen money. However, for now do not bring them to court about the matter; just hold onto the incriminating evidence. When the time comes, I will gather up all evidence these crimes and take legal action."

Ragnok's fierce sneer quickly morphed into a just as intimidating smirk as he replied. "Do not worry Mr. Potter, we at Gringotts would have taken action regardless of our customer's account size. I will personally see to it that a full audit of all accounts involved will be done, and all stolen monies returned to their rightful vaults. As for the goblin that managed your accounts before this, he will be...severely...punished. Now, is there anything else you would like to ask?"

Harry glanced back at the paper, and remembered that even thought the Peverell account had a large amount of money in it, it was not anywhere near the Potter vault's amounts, even though Ragnok said it was substantially larger. "Actually there is one more thing you can answer for me Ragnok. You said the Perverell account had more wealth in it that the Potter account...yet the numbers here on this paper contradict such claims. And for that matter, why are the numbers so exact?"

The smirk on Ragnok's face remained as he answered Harry. "Ahh, so you noticed that, hmm? Very good...I will answer your last question first. The numbers are so exact because in Ignotus Peverell's will, he requested it as such; the rest of the monies were to be transferred into wealth of a...different sort. I admit it was an odd request, but I have had stranger. However his odd request has most certainly paid off; over the years the material he had his wealth exchanged for has risen in value more so than the gold standard, if only barely. As for your first question, I am assuming you are going to view your vaults today?" When Harry nodded he spoke up once more. "Then in that case, the answer to your first question lies within the Peverell vault itself; all will be made clear upon arrival, this I am sure of."

Harry really, _really _wanted to pout at that, but he had an image to create so he managed to hold it in. Seeing as how his questions were answered and Nagini seemed _quite _content to just be scratched, he gave Ragnok a true smile and spoke up.

"In that case Ragnok, I have no further questions. I would like to visit my vaults."

**Ending Note:** And there you have it, chapter two complete! Sorry for the long pause between updates, but my surgery has been given me...complications. For those of you who are avid readers of my first story "A Fox Among Tamers" worry not! I plan on having the next chapter released by tomorrow, Sunday at latest. I know this chapter's visit to Gringotts was somewhat generic, but considering the just how large the scale of this story will be, I needed to firmly establish his financial status. Next chapter will most likely consist of him visiting his vaults and then shopping around, possibly more but that is yet to be seen. Once more, reviews are greatly appreciated, regardless of their content. As stated before; flames just make me chuckle. Now then, onto review answers!

**Vandenbz: Thank you for your consistent reviews. As for Dumbledore...yeah I have always found his actions...curious. Thank you for the compliments on this story, and I hope you will continue to enjoy it!**

**Sephiroth owns u all: Thanks!**

**Farwalker: Aye, I've always wanted to read a story that had Nagini as a vital character. However I have yet to read one in which this is the case, so I took it upon myself. Thank your for the support!**

**Blah: Thanks for the review good sir/ma'am, I have answered your review in depth at the beginning of this chapter and will correct chapter 1 as soon as this is posted.**

**Devoted Writer: Thanks for the support! As for what Nagini looks like I'll be glad to describe her. Simply put, full size she is a little over thirty feet long and at the thickest 18" in diameter...big snake. As for her coloration, she has jet black scales adorning her entire body with the exception of her belly scales and the patterned scales. Her belly scales are colored a deep amber, whilst her patterned scales are reminiscent of a diamondback, with the pattern in a lighter shade of amber. Her eyes are amber as well, with the sole exception of the slit pupil. Hope this clears it up!**

**Amaterasu's Vassal: Thanks for the review, and I was hoping to put a unique twist on things...looks like I might have accomplished that! I have not read any of the Eragon books put I have read many, _many_ stories on fanfiction about the series, so I do indeed know what you are referring to. I suppose in a way it is like a rider's bond...but it works both ways. And do not worry, I plan on the interactions between Harry, Nagini and those he knew to be...amusing.**

**BlackRoseFire: Aye, I am quite fond of serpents myself, and didn't like that fact that every last serpent was portrayed as evil in the series. I haven't decided on Voldemort's reaction yet, nor when exactly he'll realize what happened...but when he does, I assure you it will be comical.**

**Slytherin66: Thanks for the compliments! And you're not the only one who likes Nagini ^^**


	3. Wealth and plans for the future

**And here's the third installment of "Awakening of the Serpents' Avatar"! I hope you have enjoyed the story so far, and I am glad to announce that this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg...this story will be _long_...more thank likely I will be writing this story over the course of this year and next...maybe more, but we will see. Now pay attention, I consider this an important announcement: I will be changing the review response section on BOTH of my stories. I will still answer any relevant questions in the reviews, but other than that I will not reply on the story itself, though I still read every review I am given, no matter how menial. The reason for this is simple; I don't want to deceive my readers, and as more and more people review, answering them all artificially increases the length of the story. I don't want to fool people into thinking my stories are longer than they really are, so once more I'll only be answering relevant questions, thank you for you time, and let the story resume!**

"Blah blah blah" – Normal speaking.

_'Blah blah blah' – _Thoughts.

'Blah blah blah' – Thought-speak.

_~Blah blah blah_~ – Parseltongue (or layman's terms, snake-speak)

"_blah blah blah" - _Spells.

-(location)- : this tells the reader where the scene changed to.

~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~

^Obviously denotes a scene change^

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to the Harry Potter book series. However, I DO own this fanfiction story.**

**Wealth and plans for the future**

As Harry followed a goblin escort out of Ragnok's office, still coming to terms with just how much wealth he had...it was mind-boggling for someone who previously lived out their days in a tiny cupboard. However, his awe was soon sat aside as his Slytherin side came into effect, formulating plans and just what he could do with this new-found wealth.

Nagini felt his shift in emotions and hissed happily to herself...her bonded was coming along better than she had every hoped to expect! He was quickly getting rid of the brash ways he had been taught over the years in Hogwarts, and was replacing them with a cunning, logical mind that thought over actions before he took them. Courage and bravery were both good qualities, true, but she had lived long enough to know and experience that they were only good in moderate amounts; too much caused one to rush into a situation head-first, and often left you open for retaliation. _'If he continues improving like this, maybe he could be...no. It is still a little too soon to ask such a thing...thought I will admit the time is approaching.'_

As Nagini was deep in her thoughts, Harry was slightly confused by the slew of emotions that she kept shifting through. He felt her pleasure, first from him scratching her and then from...something else, then her contemplation, followed by wonder, and then finally resignation...how odd. However, before he could think further on the train of thought, they arrived at the cart-loading dock, where an all-to familiar goblin awaited him. With a smile on his face, Harry approached the goblin and spoke up.

"Hello again Griphook, I thank you for sending me to Master Ragnok. The experience was quite..._enlightening_, and I can now say that the issue has been resolved. Those who wronged me will most certainly be brought to account for what they have done...but not now. After all, revenge is a dish best served cold, is it not?" While Harry's voice did not waver or change in the slightest as he spoke, Griphook could easily tell how icy Harry's words became at then end.

However, instead of cringing like most wizards would do, Griphook returned Harry's smile with a vicious smirk of his own. After all, Goblins loved a good fight and some action, and with Harry around both were almost assured. "No need to thank me Mr. Potter, just make sure that when you _do_ act, that its big...its so much more satisfying. Now, I am assuming you wish to travel to a vault?"

Harry simply nodded before giving his reply. "Two in fact, first the Potter vault, and then the Peverell vault."

His reply nearly made Griphook fall over in shock. "T-The Peverell vault? So an heir has finally been found, and it is _you_ of all people?" Griphook seemed to contemplate this for a minute before his grin nearly split his face in two. "Oh yes, you will most certainly bring much excitement to the magical world. Well come on then, in you go; your vaults await!"

Harry simply smirked as he stepped into the cart, with Griphook right behind him. He felt Nagini tense her coils around him, undoubtedly remembering this from his memories, and he send feelings of comfort through their link, trying to reassure her. All too soon, the cart was careening down the rails and whipping past vaults at breakneck speed. Harry mused quietly that some sort of spell must have been cast on the cart to keep the occupants inside...there was no way they would have stayed in otherwise, what with the sharp turns at blurring speeds. When they finally arrived at a vault simply numbered 106, Harry stepped, out somewhat unsteady feet...he never did manage to get used to that.

However, while Harry may have just been somewhat unsteady from the ride, Nagini was nearly squeezing him to death due to her fright. It was one thing to view it in a memory...it was another thing _entirely_ to actually experience it first hand. She was a creature of the ground, not the sky; careening down a single suspended rail as they flew deeper into Gringott's depths was _not_ something she was made for.

Harry could feel her body give a shudder every few seconds, not to mention the fact she was subconsciously squeezing him to death and her head was firmly pressed against his neck, with what he guessed was her eyes closed. This combined with the fear he could feel literally _oozing_ from her made him quite worried. As he walked away from where Griphook waited by the cart, he spoke to her in their language...after all, no would hear them down here besides maybe Griphook, and he doubted the goblin would care much.

~_Nagini, what is wrong? Was the ride truly that bad for you? I know you have seen it before from my memories, so what is the matter?~_

When she still made to motion to answer him after almost a minute, he was about to start panicking when she finally spoke up, her voice somewhat muffled due to her head remaining stubbornly stuck against his neck.

~_Harry...seeing such a thing and experiencing such a thing are two entirely different things. Snakes are almost always on the ground, and if not they are at least firmly attached to whatever they are moving on. We are not meant to fly or travel across great heights...the only time a snake would typically do such would be if they were in the talons of a bird of prey and the snake was its meal.~_

As she finished, Harry blanched a few shades lighter and mentally berated himself for his stupidity. Of course she would be frightened, snakes don't fly, and most certainly don't go high places unless it was a tree! When she still did not make any move or sign of recovering, Harry realized he needed to calm his familiar and new friend, and fast. So, Harry continued walking right through the open vault door not even realizing he did such and sat down just inside of it so he could comfort Nagini. As he sat, he gently coaxed her head into his lap and stroked it gently as he spoke up.

~_I'm sorry Nagini, I was stupid not to realize what the ride would have done to you. Being a human, I don't have the same aversion to such things...at least not as strong as you do.~ _As he continued talking in a soothing, sibilant tone, Nagini gradually became more relaxed and started to enjoy the attention she was receiving. ~_Is there anything I can do? I mean, we're going to eventually have to get back in the cart, its the only way down here, so that's unavoidable. However, maybe I can ask Griphook to slow the cart down a bit, or maybe he knows some spell to make it more bearable? Maybe one that shuts of the targets senses, or maybe just calms them...maybe one tha-~ _Harry's rambling were cut short as Nagini once more shut his jaw by pushing it closed with her head...it was quickly becoming an activity she enjoyed.

With a hissing chuckle, Nagini spoke up. _~Shhh, its alright Harry, I am fine now thanks to you. The first time is always the worst, and I was unprepared for the sensation...I think I can manage the next time. However, your suggestion of asking Griphook to slow down would be greatly appreciated. Now then, why don't we see what this vault of yours contai-..._~ Here Nagini cut of mid word, her eyes wide in what appeared to be surprise and awe as she looked somewhere over Harry's shoulder.

Harry was confused at the abrupt cutoff, but turned to follow her gaze, noticing that they managed to already enter the vault as he walked. However, he to fell into stunned silence when he say just what Nagini was looking at...the contents of the Potter vault. The vault was massive, easily capable of holding two or three of the Dursley's house inside it. On the left wall was an impressive library, with several hundred books there. While nowhere near the size of Hogwart's library, he was sure it had probably contained at least a few books that Hogwarts did not have. Along the right wall there were a multitude of things, the first being shelved that held what appeared to be magical artifacts. Next to these was a great deal of magical paintings, each undoubtedly a Potter ancestor, and all were silently staring at this new heir to their line. He was disappointed to find that there were no portraits of his parents but wasn't all that surprised; he doubted they were expecting to die so young. Next to the portraits was a very impressive collection of battle garbs. It clearly showed how old the potter line was; the oldest mainly consisted of gleaming suits of armor, with the more modern battle robes closest to the entrance. He noticed there were two books lying on a single table near the armor, and made a note to pick them up before he left. Then, his attention turned to what caught their gazes in the first place, and what filled almost the entire vault. Closest to him was a considerable sized pile of bronze knuts, the pile being a little taller than he was, and spread out to the sides. Right behind that was the mound of silver sickles, which was about twice the size of the knut pile. However, what truly drew his attention was the mountain of gold galleons that dwarfed everything in the vault. Before now, eleven billion galleons was just a massive number to him, but to actually see it was an entirely different matter...the pile encompassed the entire back of the vault and a great deal of the rest, and easily touched the high ceiling.

Shaking himself out of his gawking, he was about to look at the books when he spotted a parchment in front of the pile of knuts, lying there innocently. Curiously, Harry walked over to where it lay and picked it up. However, upon reading who it was addressed to and by _whom_ it was written, he nearly dropped it in shock. With shaky hands, he began to read what he now considered sacred scripture.

_Dear Harry, _

_Hey there Prongslet! If you're reading this then your mother and I have probably gone and done something stupid. (OW! Woman, stop hitting me! OW! Fine, alright!) Ahem. Bloody Copy Quills write down everything don't they? Anyways, I mean that I probably did something stupid and your mother had to come and save me, or tried (There, happy?). So, if you're reading this there's quite a few things we want to say to you buddy. First and foremost, is that we love you with all our heart, never doubt that for a second. Secondly, and this is something I really don't want to admit or say, but your mother is wielding a right nasty looking iron skillet at the moment that I'd rather not come to know on a personal level. Anyways...even though I'd like to shout "Go Gryffindor!"...I won't. Even though I'll never admit it openly, I want my only child to make his own decisions on where he wants to take his life, and not be mislead by biased opinions around him...and I'll admit, my opinion is biased. However, there is one thing I would like to influence you in somewhat, and that is to continue on with our animagus legacy. You don't have to become a marauder (though it would be nice), but I'd still like you to become an animagus, and have left a book made specifically by the marauders in the library, aptly named (Animagus for Dummies), I saw the books series in a muggle shop once and I rather liked the name._

_Alright, moving onto the next one; you've got one very big inheritance Harry, and I just want to let you know: don't be afraid to spend it, that's what its there for. Besides, the amount of interest the account accrues is simply insane, so you really don't have to worry much. Err...your mum's giving me the look, so I'll just be handing the quill over to her before she decides I like eating iron. Remember, I love you Prongslet, and will always love you!_

_Hello my baby! I'm so sorry if you're reading this, it was never mean to be this way, but apparently due to some circumstances it happened anyways. Right now your father, me, and you are currently hiding in Godric's Hollow, due to some overrated prophecy. We were never told just what this prophecy says, only that Voldemort has gotten wind of it and that he apparently thinks either you or Neville Longbottom are the only ones who can defeat him...or so Albus says. Personally, I find any kind words coming out of that fraud Trelawney's mouth to be a lie...she is well known to be a false seer, making up anything she can, especially fortellings of death to keep people slightly interested. However, whether or not the prophecy is true doesn't matter to me; the fact that Voldemort is after my little Harry does. So, prophecy or not I have performed an ancient ritual of protection on you Harry, just for precaution. Basically what it does it if I were to die before you (which is a definite if I was protecting you), you would gain a one-time magical protection from an event in which you would normally die. Its not much, but I hope it will pay off if the time ever comes. _

_We have to be wrapping things up soon, but there are a few more things you need to know before we end this letter. First and foremost is that should we die and you are orphaned, you are NOT, under ANY circumstances to be handed over to my sister Petunia and her cruel husband Vernon. This we have written in our will, if you need proof, its in there...I say this because Albus has for some reason convinced himself that such would be the best course of action, despite our protests. This leads to the last topic of our letter to you; Albus Dumbledore. I really wish I didn't have to say this, and at a time I would have never imagined I would be writing this...but Harry...watch out for him. I'm not sure what has happened, but your father and I have noticed that over the years he has changed...very few others have noticed, but we most certainly have. I'm not sure whether the power has finally gone to his head or what, but he has begun to view people like one would a chess-piece. I'm not sure he really realizes anymore that they have lives too, he just sees them as a means to an end, and all for "The Greater Good". It hurts me to say this, but be weary of him...due to this 'prophecy' I have no doubt you will become well known, and having you as one of his 'pieces' would be very beneficial to him._

_That's all we really have time to write Harry, but we both want to say once more that we love you, no matter what happens or the choices you make, we'll stand by your side (metaphorically) with proud smiles on our faces. Got to go, we love you!_

_Love, James Potter and Lily Potter_

After reading the letter, Harry sank to his knees, not longer being able to support himself, and he cried. He cried for the injustice that was his life, he cried for his parent's early deaths, he cried in joy knowing that at least _someone_ would always love him, no matter what, and lastly he cried tears of rage, for his mother's prediction had came true and their will was ignored...he was placed in hell for eleven years. At this train of thought, he gently pocketed the letter before he balled his hands into fists so tight they nearly bled, and he felt and heard Nagini's anger as well...she agreed with him, and it was a comforting thought. That man..._Dumbledore_...had blatantly IGNORED his parent's dying wishes and put him with an abusive family just so he would be a nice, malleable little boy when it came time to retrieve him...well that was it...he _had _been planning on just making Dumbledore's life miserable before...but this...oh..._this_ was the last straw. The gloves were officially off, he now was out to utterly destroy the man. He knew very well that he was a good ways from such a lofty goal, but he would bide his time, make plans, and most importantly, train very, very hard. He would destroy both Voldemort _and_ Dumbledore when the time came, and after that he would reform this twisted world. With such things in mind, he spoke up to Nagini, softly enough that Griphook could not hear him.

~_Nagini, you told me before that our bond will keep us together the rest of our lives, correct? Well now is the time to put such to the test; Nagini, just how far would you go to follow me? I will not mince words, the things I plan on doing will be bloody.~_

Nagini partially uncoiled and put her head in front of his at his declaration, making sure he knew that what she said, she meant.

~_Harry, when I said our bond would keep us together, I meant it. We snakes do not take such a ritual lightly; I will be by your side regardless of what you do until the end of days. Though I do doubt such a thing would occur...even if you were to turn out like Voldemort, I would still follow you. However, I chose you because I could tell you would not turn down that path. I have no doubts that what you plan will cause many lives to be snuffed out...but they will not be innocent lives, and that makes all the difference. So in short, I will follow you until death comes for me, and maybe even after.~_

Harry was warmed by Nagini's heartfelt admission...perhaps he _did_ underestimate just what she meant when she offered this bond...well, he wouldn't make that same mistake again. With a smile on his face, he stroked her under her chin, eliciting pleased hisses from her and spoke once more.

~_Your loyalty and sincerity means more to me than you can ever imagine, Nagini...I'm glad you'll be there with me. I suppose then that I should let you in on what I plan, hmm? Very well...in short, I plan __on completely changing the wizarding world. In fact, when I'm done with it that name will no longer exist; it will simply be the magical world. Wizards will still have a part in it...but so will the other magical races, and each will have a voice and an equal say in things. I may be a wizard myself, but I tire of the idiocy and old prejudices that wizards hold over the rest of the magical races. But in order to do this I need to first become powerful, and very much so...after all, while I loathe Voldemort and Dumbledore, I have to respect that they at least have a good deal of power; power I lack at the moment. With luck, I might just be able to gather some of the magical races behind my banner, but that is a little bit down the road.~_

As Harry finished, Nagini was reeling from not only the scale of Harry's plans, but also from what his plans detailed. The fact that he wanted to bring back equality to the magical races excited her to no end...the last time such a thing happened was before the time of Merlin, according to her now-deceased mother! _'Maybe it isn't too soon to talk to him about it...he already has the right mindset, and he certainly has big enough goals...yes, he is the one; now I just need to bring it up, and hope he accepts.'_

_~Those are some...very lofty goals, Harry. However do not think I doubt you, I am just stunned and happy that you plan to bring back equality among the magical races. This brings me to ask something of you once more...but I'll wait until we arrive at your last vault. But a forewarning...what I will ask of you will have even more impact on you than our bonding.~_

Harry was momentarily stunned by what she said...what in the world was she going to ask of him? Regardless, he simply nodded...after all, while the bonding was certainly a life-changing deal for him, it was one for the better; perhaps whatever more she wanted would be the same. Now he faced another problem...he needed someway to move the items he wanted from this vault to that Potter Mansion he read about...but how? He was sure it was safe; he saw the unplottable, which meant it was under some type of ward, most likely an old family ward if what he read in his fifth year charms book was correct. He was about to go and ask Griphook for help when he had an epiphany. Wondering just how to do this, he went with the simplest possibility and called out one word.

"Dobby!"

While he was skeptical at best of what good it would have done, he remembered how helpful and grateful the little house elf was in years past. He was pleasantly surprised when he heard a soft popping sound, and as he turned around, lo and behold there was little Dobby, right outside of the vault and hopping up and down like a bunny on crack. He almost laughed at the comical look on Griphook's face upon seeing the little guy suddenly pop up.

"Great Harry Potter sir! Yous called for Dobby? What can Dobby do for the Great Harry Potter sir?"

Harry chuckled as he approached the entrance to the vault where Dobby was, greatly amused by Nagini as she studied this...phenomenon in front of her. When he finally got near Dobby, he knelt down so he was eye level with the little elf before he spoke up.

"Yes I did call you Dobby. I just wanted to know if you still wanted to be my house-elf."

This of course sent Dobby into hysterics, large tears dropped from his tennis-ball eyes as he responded. "Yes! Yes I's would love to be the Great Harry Potter's house elf, Dobby had wanted this for long time!"

After managing to somewhat calm down the little guy, Harry spoke up once more. "Alright, but before we do this I have a few conditions of my own. One, you're getting paid because you won't be my slave; you will at minimum get paid 5 galleons a month. Secondly, just call me Harry or if you absolutely _must_, Mr. Potter. Do you agree to these terms?" Dobby seemed a bit reluctant at the getting paid aspect, but eventually he bobbed his head in acceptance.

"Alright, now how exactly do we do this?"

Dobby adopted what could only be a house-elf's version of a thinking pose for a minute before he responded. "The Great...Mr. Potter sir would have to simply hold Dobby's hand, and Dobby will do the rest."

Nodding, Harry extended his hand and grasped the tiny elf's hand. Dobby himself seemed to concentrate before his elf magic became slightly visible around their hands, the color an interesting shade of grey. Harry momentarily felt a tingle before Dobby took his hand out of Harry's own and began hopping around even more than before, while Harry stayed where he was, looking at his hand in confusion. 'That was it? Well, that certainly was a bit more simple than our own procedure, huh Nagini?'

Nagini hissed quietly in amusement through their bond before replying. 'Indeed...but the bond between a house-elf and master is undoubtedly less intense than the familiar bond that we share.'

Harry laughed quietly at that before he got Dobby's attention once more. Once the house elf was relatively still, Harry gave him his first tasks. "Alright Dobby, here's what I want you to do. You see all those books in the vault over there? I want those taken to Potter Manor, which you should be able to access because you're my house elf...if what I remember from that book is correct. Anyways, after you're done with that, take the magical artifacts as well but be careful, I don't know what kind of enchantments they may have on them. After that, I would like you to go out and find other house elves that would like render their services to me as well, with the same stipulations I gave you. However, keep it in secret, we don't need to alert anyone and don't get any more than nine more...ten house-elves should be more than enough at the moment. I'm naming you the head house elf, so will you be able to make them my official house elves without me being there?" When Dobby simply bobbed his head, too stunned that he was a head-elf to speak, Harry continued. "Perfect. Alright, once you gathered the other house elves, I would like you all to go over to Potter Manor and tidy it up...I doubt anyone has been there in quite some time. Can you do all this Dobby?"

His answer was a hyperventilating Dobby that looked like he was about to explode from happiness, which jubilantly replied, "Yes! Yes Mr. Potter sir, Dobby will do what Mr. Potter sir wants! I's be going right away!" And with that the little house elf popped over to the library section of the vault and started using his elf magic to shrink then while he put them in a bag, before popping away, onto to return moments later and repeat. Seeing that Dobby was firmly focused on his given tasks, Harry decided it was time to visit the Perverell vault and see just _what_ exactly his ancestor decided to trade his galleons for...he would admit he was a bit curious.

As he walked up to Griphook and got ready to reenter the cart, he remembered his promise to Nagini and another minor detail he needed to ask. "Hey Griphook, is there some type of bag or something to hold my money in? I plan on doing a good bit of spending, and I'll need some way to carry around the money I plan to spend."

Griphook simply reached in his pocket and withdrew...a card? Showing it to Harry, Griphook spoke. "There will be no need to do that Mr. Potter, for once the wizards recently came out with a good idea...in reality they took it from the non-magical humans, but they won't admit it. Simply let a drop of your blood fall on this card, and it will automatically lock onto your magical signature and all accounts connected to it. When you need to pay for something, simply state the amount and to whom it is going, and it will automatically be taken from your largest account and deposited within the account of the recipient. Not exactly like what non-magical humans have, but it works well enough. The card is a galleon, would you like one?"

Harry simply smirked and fished out one of the few galleons he had on him and handed it to Griphook, who promptly handed Harry the card and a knife. He quickly pricked his finger and let one drop of blood fall on the card, which glowed for a moment before his blood deemed to become absorbed into the card. When it was done, it was simply a silver colored card with his full name in elegant calligraphy colored an emerald green, the same color his eyes were. He smirked at the color scheme, finding it both suiting and ironic, and handed the knife back to Griphook with a thank you. As they stepped into the cart, Harry gave his last request before they set off. "If you wouldn't mind Griphook, would it be possible to slow the cart down any? My familiar Nagini here didn't enjoy the first ride at all, and I was simply wondering it this one could be...smoother." As he finished Nagini poked her head out from underneath his cloak, as if to affirm she was indeed there.

While Griphook was momentarily unnerved at the sight of the large snake, he quickly gathered himself and nodded...it would be in his best interests not to anger such a large reptile, after all.

As the cart took off at a far more sedate pace than before, Harry absentmindedly stroked Nagini to comfort her as he glanced around, now that his surroundings weren't passing by at blurring speeds. While he was surprised the Potter vault was such a low number, he was even more surprised to find them slowly but surely passing by the 80s, 70s, 60s, and so on. As they continued going further and further, the vaults grew more archaic in design, showing just how long they had been there. His curiosity piqued, Harry decided to ask a question.

"Griphook, just what number _is _the Peverell vault? I know its an old line, but we're passing some extremely old vaults!"

Griphook momentarily glanced back at Harry with an unreadable expression before he returned his attention to the track ahead. When he spoke, his voice carried a mixture of both reverence and wariness, which set Harry on edge.

"The Peverell line is far, far older than you realize Mr. Potter. If you must know before we arrive, it is vault number two."

Harry's eyes opened wide at this statement...number two? The line had to be absolutely ancient! However, such an admittance brought up one last question before they arrived.

"Griphook...just who does vault number one belong to?" He was a little apprehensive of what the answer would be, but he just had to know.

Griphook took a long time to answer that, and when he did was said in barely a whisper. "Technically, the vault belongs to no one for now, it is simply being held by Gringotts and an annual fee is taken out of it for keeping the account. There has not been an heir to the family for hundreds of years, and we're not sure if there will ever be another. Vault number one is the Myrddin vault Mr. Potter. The one whom set it up was none other than Myrddin Emrys...better known as Merlin."

The rest of the ride was sent with Harry gaping at the back of Griphook's head, still trying to wrap around the fact that his vault was only one away from the vault of Merlin himself! He was snapped out of his stupor when the cart came to a halt, jolting him back into the real world. When he looked around, he was quite confused at what he saw...apparently he was a bit more unfocused than he thought. The area around him was simply lit by the occasional torch here and there, showing that they were no longer in the depths of a building, but instead in some type of tunnel dug out of the stone. In front of the cart was what could only be described as a cave, once more with the occasional torchlight. Griphook took note of his confusion and decided to clear things up a bit for him.

"If you're wondering why we're in what appears to be a cave...its because that's exactly what we're in. The very first vaults were built back when we Goblins were still trying to set up a stable area for ourselves...Gringott's did not have a building at the time, thought it was in the planning stages. At that time we simply dug a very, very deep and expansive cave system below where we would build Gringotts. When we first offered to protect and hold wizard's money, we did not have vaults; we just assured them that we would guard their wealth with our very lives. As it was, the clients often built their own vaults within the very bottom reaches of the cave system, complete with their own wards and precautions. The Peverell line was the second to do such. Since no one had entered this vault since Ignotus, I cannot tell you what you will find; the audit you undoubtedly were given simply listed what _he _told us...whether or not more is inside is completely unknown to me. As it is, this is as far as I can go...good luck Mr. Potter."

With that rather solemn ending, Griphook fell silent and waited by the cart as Harry cautiously walked down the gloomy passage. As he walked, the air seemed to become colder as he continued on and he felt Nagini shiver a little, telling him that he wasn't imagining such. He brought his cloak further around him and completely covered Nagini with it, earning a squeeze of thanks from his familiar. Glancing behind him, he was unnerved to see that he could no longer see the entrance of the passage, though he very well knew he should have been able to. Instead there was just an inky blackness that seemed to consume the passage behind him. Thoroughly unnerved now Harry picked up his pace, though the further he went the darker it became, regardless of the occasional torch that lit the glistening stone walls that seemed to press in on him.

Just as he was about to reach his wits end (and he wasn't alone, he could feel the unease rolling off of Nagini in waves), they finally exited the passageway which opened up into a decently sized cavern...but what it held did nothing to ease their already frazzled nerves. In front of them stood what almost looked like the entrance to a castle with the walls reaching to the top of the cavern, some thirty feet above them. Beside the massive doors to the vault was oddly enough two trees...how they grew down here he would never know...but they were long dead now, their old gnarled branches only adding to the general feel of foreboding. And to top it all off, the cavern was dimly lit with a dim green glow, lighting up the entrance's moist stones. This was all intimidating to Harry and Nagini, but what made it even worse to them was the fact that there was absolutely _no sound_. Even with Nagini's superb senses, it was as quiet as the grave...and looked about the same.

It took a few minutes, but Harry finally gathered the courage to approach the vault door, though he did so very, _very_ cautiously as his footsteps echoes unbearably loud to him in this place where only the dead would feel comfortable. He was a good five feet away from the old iron doors and was about to reach out when a voice spoke up, making Harry quickly jump back with his wand poised at the ready, its tip glowing a bright green as Nagini hissed and reared up behind Harry's head, ready for any would-be attackers from behind.

"_I wouldn't do that if I were you, child."_

Harry involuntarily shuddered at the sound of the voice...it sounded like the person hadn't drank anything in decades, and as such the voice was incredibly raspy...and incredibly intimidating. However, Harry was not one to back down, especially with Nagini guarding his back; with their combined sights and senses, they could see all around them. With more confidence than he felt, Harry addressed the mystery person.

"Who's there? And what are you doing way down here?"

The person let out a raspy laugh, once more making Harry shiver before it responded. "_A very good question child, but one I should be asking of you instead. What business do you have down here in the depths of this place, and visiting the hallowed resting place of Ignotus Peverell no less?"_

The man's response both shocked and unnerved Harry...what was he talking about? "Resting place? This place is a grave? I was under the impression that this was the Peverell _vault_, not a mausoleum!"

It was an odd sound, but the voice sounded amused as it replied. "_Ah, but it is both! The wealth of the Peverell's lies within yes, but the less known fact is that this is also where Ignotus finally embraced death and breathed his last. Now I will ask only once more child, what business do you have down here!_" At the end there was no mistaking the hostility in the voice, and so Harry decided it would be wise to humor it.

"I am Harry James Potter, and according to a heritage test I am the heir to the line of Peverell."

There was a pause for a moment as the voice seemed to contemplate and mull over his words. When it spoke again, the voice sounded curious, yet skeptical. "_Are you now? Well if that is the case, simply smear some of your blood on the doors; if you are what you claim, then they shall admit you._"

Although still wary of the voice, he was glad to finally have permission to approach the doors. As he approached the door once more, both he and Nagini were still on high-alert for the owner of the voice. When he was standing in front of them once more, he spoke up quietly to Nagini.

~_Nagini, can you nick my hand for me? Don't inject any venom of course, simply wound my hand so I can smear some of my blood.~_

Nagini cautiously did as he asked, biting down gently on the side of his hand and quickly pulling out once more, returning to her vigil. Once Harry smeared his blood on the door he waited for what typically happened; some flash of light or swirl of magic. However none of these things happened, as Harry watched his blood simply sink into the old metal before it was like it was never there in the first place. After a moment more, both of them heard what sounded like a large latch releasing, followed by several more identical sounds further inside. A second later, the massive iron doors slowly opened with a deep groaning that sounded like it came from the earth itself. What was inside surprised both of them once more...where they expected at least a stone vault with treasures within, they were greeted with yet another cavern! Apparently the entrance was simply a facade, for they now peered into a cavern around the size of a football field, lighted just the same as the one outside. However, unlike the one outside, this one appeared even more ancient. Stalactites littered the ceiling, the moisture on them gradually dripping down onto their counterpart stalagmites located beneath them. Small pools filled with cave water littered the area, and some were surprisingly deep, with crystal clear water in them. They were snapped out of their musings when the voice spoke up once more, but unlike the other times it now held a tone of wonder.

"_So you were telling the truth after all...and a good thing too. Had you been lying and you attempted what you just did, you would have fell dead where you stood. However that point is now moot; a new heir of the Peverell line has finally revealed itself after so long, and now so shall I reveal myself."_

With this the voice became silent once more, and both Harry and Nagini now heard the sound of faint tapping on the stone, from what they could only assume was boots, possibly armored. Finally the figure the voice belonged to stood in front of the entrance of the vault, yet the deep black robes and cloak it wore covered its form completely, letting nothing be seen of what lied beneath. Although somewhat uncomfortable with the appearance of...whoever it was, Harry still intended to get some information from the man, and so addressed him.

"Alright, now you know why _I_ am down here; now I want to know why _you _are down here? What business do _you _have?"

His words drew yet another raspy chuckle from the man before he responded. "_Ah, using my own words against me...clever, little heir. But you asked, and so I shall answer. I am simply the guardian of this place. Although the wards set up around the entrance should fend off any would-be intruders or thieves, Ignotus was a paranoid man and so deemed it necessary that additional protection was necessary, and so here I am._ _My job is to keep a constant vigil when the vault is unoccupied, and to stand guard at the entrance when the vault is opened, as it is now. I would suggest you travel further in, heir of Peverell...you will find your answers within._"

Harry was about to respond when Nagini spoke through their bond, and he just now noticed how completely unnerved she was. 'Harry, there is something very wrong here. That man before us...he has no scent! No being can hide their scent completely! At most they can mask it with another, yet this being before us simply smells like our surroundings...Harry, this is no man in front of us, be careful!'

The intensity by which she spoke and the unease he felt through their bond spoke volumes to Harry about just how bothered Nagini was about this being...and Harry would admit he himself was somewhat frightened at this point...what had no scent? Well, might as well ask; at worst he simply won't answer.

"Hey! One last thing...what's your name? And just what exactly _are _you?"

Silence reigned once more aside from the occasional drips, and Harry was beginning to squirm under the gaze of whatever resided beneath that deep hood. Finally, the being spoke up once more. "_My name is irrelevant; I have not had one for many, many years, nor do I need one...my duty is to simply guard the entrance. As for what I am...as I said before, the answers lie within._" And without further prompting, the being turned around to guard the entrance once more, but not before the low light penetrated the hood's dark depths enough for Harry to get a tiny glimpse of what lied within. However, what he saw made whatever blood he had drain from his face, and by the massive shudder from Nagini, she saw it as well. For what they saw was very simple; all that showed was a bit of a smooth, white surface...a smooth, _bone_ white surface. Now it all made sense...a horrible sense, but it answered their questions nonetheless. What else had no scent other than the bones of something long since dead? What better thing to speak as if parched than the bones of the dead themselves? And finally what better guard than the dead, whom had no fear of the passage of time nor the cold grip of death. For they were past such mortal coils, and no longer had the limits that flesh levied upon the living. It was with this disturbing revelation that Harry quickly walked deeper into the inner cavern, making sure to distance himself from his...guard.

It a few minutes later and Harry was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he had a guardian to his vault...and it was a bloody _skeleton! _It was then that he noticed Nagini had been trying to gain his attention, and was just about ready to get physical. ~_I'm sorry Nagini, I was still trying to come to terms with the ...guard.~_

Nagini shuddered slightly at the reminder, but she needed to get his mind back on track; for all they knew, there could be worse things in here. ~_I am just as disturbed as you are Harry, but we must pay attention to our surroundings...we do not know what else lurks down here, if anything. I can see a something up ahead behind on of the stalagmites, do you see it?~_

Harry followed her gaze and could just barely make out what appeared to be some sort of pedestal...standing by itself at the end of the cavern. _'Well, that's not ominous at all! Damn Ignotus, what the hell kind of bloke makes a vault like some haunted house from hell!' _Finishing his ramblings Harry finally stood next to the podium; it was simply made of stone and seemed to be carved from the cavern itself, and came up to his stomach. However what confused him was that there was nothing on it, simply an odd symbol. Engraved upon the top of the pedestal was three simple geometric figures, combined to form the symbol. On the outside was a triangle, and inside of that was a circle, whose edges touched the edge of the triangle. Lastly, going through both was a line...and he had _no _idea what the bloody hell it was. Now very paranoid, both Harry and Nagini peered at the solitary pedestal with mistrust...it would have made for quite an amusing sight, had anyone been around.

For the next five minutes, Harry and Nagini tried everything they could think of to make it do something without having to touch it; after all it was the only thing in this cavern...so it had to do something! First Harry threw some rocks at it; nothing. Then he scooped up some water and dumped it on it; it remained unresponsive...if it had a face he was sure it would be taunting him. Finally he got the nerve to very, _very _quickly poke the pedestal with his wand...nope, still nada. By this time if he could have, Harry would have had steam coming out of his ears. _'I'm gonna gave to touch the bloody thing, aren't I? Someone up there hates me, this just screams trap.' _With a great sigh (from both beings), Harry proceeded to slowly reach out one finger and poke the symbol, and quickly drew his finger back as if it were burned...yet nothing happened. That was it, it was the last straw in Harry's opinion, caution be damned! He literally slammed his palm down on the symbol as he yelled at an inanimate object. "There! There you bloody rock, you happy? I hope you...erode!"

Apparently the 'bloody rock' was indeed happy and chose to ignore his rather hurtful insult, for the symbol lit up a dim (you guessed it) green color before the sound of stone sliding on stone was heard. Harry quickly jumped away from the pedestal, preparing himself for whatever else he may encounter with Nagini once more raised above his head, fangs bared and ready. Glancing around, Harry found what was making the noise and just barely resisted face-palming; the floor just beyond the pedestal lowered down in stages, making a makeshift staircase...deeper down. With a grumble, Harry descended the staircase, wondering that else was waiting for him and Nagini.

It was a decent ways down, Harry guessed a good twenty feet or so before he came upon an elegant door with a (and Harry nearly shouted for joy at this) simple door handle, and so he happily opened it, and prepared himself for more bloody gloom and doom. However this was not the case: then he opened the door he and Nagini were treated to the sight of a well kept, _dry_, vault nearly the size of the cavern they were just in, and it appeared to be made entirely out of marble...quite an upgrade to what they were looking at before. While the marble surrounding was quite nice, Harry's attention was drawn to what lined the entire back of the vault, as well as a good bit of the sides...books..._LOTS_ of books. Harry may not have been interested in many of his school books...but to be honest the reason why was they were simply _bloody boring_. Seriously, what did everyone expect him to do, launch a tickle charm at Voldemort and make him laugh to death? Transfigure any stray matched Voldemort may have had lying around into needles and impale him with them? ...Well ok, that last idea didn't sound _too _bad...but he just _knew_ instinctively that magic had so much more potential...and here it was, sitting in front of him. Barely holding himself back from a sprint, Harry quickly stepped around the considerable piles of money in the middle of the vault (though nothing like the Potter vault), and began reading some of the titles.

To Harry's utter delight, not only were there many books that he had never even heard of, but there were quite a few that were written by some very well known wizards. He actually chocked when he came across one labeled "The True Way of Magic: Wandless" by none other that Merlin himself! Continuing on, he came across many, many Grimoires, which undoubtedly held vast stores of spells and magical knowledge...he even came across an entire section from Salazar Slytherin...and all about Parseltongue and its applications! He nearly passed out from happiness, but managed to get a hold of himself. Meanwhile, Nagini was watching all of this and was _quite_ amused by just how...energetic Harry became when faced with new magics. He didn't even need to go through any more...he would just take the whole damn library! And so, he called Dobby once more, whom appeared after only a few seconds, though his energetic nature was slightly tamed by the place they were. Apparently he was still looking for more house-elves that wanted to become Harry's, but he already managed to get one called "Minny"...whoever that was, but Harry was glad to have her. He gave his orders once more, and Dobby nodded before he began popping back and forth between the vault and the mansion, soon joined by another elf that Harry could only assume was this "Minny".

He gave her a curt nod before he walked over to what next drew his attention; large marble chests that were stacked on another portion of the wall, both against and on top of each other. Each was sealed shut by large steel clasps on all four corners, preventing anyone from just opening the large drawer-like chests. However he had a feeling he could open them, for engraved in the center of each one was the very same engraving that the pedestal upstairs bore. He walked over to where they were, and figured that each was about 6' x 3' x 3' and there was...almost forty of the bloody things. He walked over to one of the middle ones and pressed his palm firmly, and just like before the symbol glowed a dim green for a second before the clasps snapped open and the drawer slowly slid out. Curiosity getting the better of both of them, Harry and Nagini peered inside...and promptly gaped...then gaped some more for good measure. Barely finding his voice, Harry spoke up quietly to Nagini as they continued to peer at what was before them.

~_Nagini...I think we just found out what Ignotus did with all of that wealth...~ _

Nagini could only bob her head absentmindedly in reply, for filling up the entire capacity of the chest...was gems. Gems of every conceivable type he could imagine, ranging from the size of a small marble to the size of an orange...never before had he seen such a sight, and neither had Nagini. Harry slowly closed the drawer and moved onto the next, which opened to reveal that more gems lie within its contents as well. He continued this for a good five more drawers before he came to the stunned conclusion that _all _of them contained gems...Ignotus was a gem nut. But, Harry did not blame him...they were exceedingly beautiful, especially the emeralds which seemed to be more common than the rest. Closing the drawer he was looking at, he once more looked a the forty chests stacked up along the wall before something lying atop one in the far corner caught his eye. Making his way to the chest, he found it was a book which was titled, "The Lost Art of Gemcrafting". Harry had never heard of such a thing, and when he enquired of Nagini as to whether she had, she too was dumbfounded. So, Harry decided to carry this book around personally; if Ignotus put so much of the fortune into gems and had this book, then it was likely that he had a very good reason for doing so.

Turning around, he wondered if there was anything else left in here to see...glancing to the bookcases he found that Dobby and Minny had nearly emptied them. Glancing behind him affirmed that he covered everything back there...piles of gold, silver and bronze? Check. Unimaginable amounts of gems? Check. Alcove with what appears to be a sarcophagus? Che-wait what? Doing a double take, Harry finally took notice of the last item this vault held; the sarcophagus of Ignotus Peverell. Warily, Harry made his way over to the sarcophagus and felt Nagini tighten around his midsection; he didn't blame her a bit for it. After making his way over, Harry noticed it wasn't anything special. It was a simple marble sarcophagus designed in the old Roman style. The only odd thing about it was that it too had the symbol carved into its cover. This made Harry decide that it had to be the Peverell family symbol; it was just used too much around here not to be. Lying off to the side in a smaller alcove was a book, and once again Harry picked this one up. However upon reading the title, "Legacy of the Peverell" he decided to read it later; while this place was certainly nicer than the area above, he still didn't like staying around a dead man any longer than he had to. With his decision made, Harry began to head back to the door which led to the upper level once more, but stopped when Nagini decided to speak up. What really made him stop though wasn't the fact that she spoke up; it was the nervousness he felt through the bond and the tone by which she spoke...hissed. _'Ah, this must be that big thing she wanted to ask of me...well better find a place to sit down...far away from the dead bloke.'_

_~Harry...I would like to speak about yet another thing I would ask of you; I would not ask if I did not think you capable of the responsibility it would entail.~_

Harry found a spot by the large pile of galleons and sat down; the floor was surprisingly comfortable despite it being made of marble. With a sigh, he motioned for her to continue, which she did.

~_While I admit I have not been contemplating this for long, there are a few very good reasons I think you are not only ready for what I offer, but worthy of it. First is the way in which you have been treating me. Regardless of whether or not I was in control, I was still trying to kill you last night, and yet here I am, bonded to you and wrapped around your body because you allowed me to...such kindness is very rare, especially towards a snake. The reputation that damnable Voldemort has given us almost assures open hostility towards my species. Yet you had no qualms about letting me not only live, but accepted me as your familiar; one of the closest connections two beings can obtain. This was reason number one.~ _Here she paused to take a breath, which was somewhat odd for Harry. ~_The second reason is a simple one; after I was bonded I could easily sense how powerful you are; you have untapped magic that is nearly unlimited in its potential...though it seems to be...clouded for some reason. This power would be vital to the role I will ask of you to play; I guarantee you will need it. The last reason is what finally made my decision; your proclamation about your plans for the magical world. You are the first human I've met, and I've met quite a bit in my life before being controlled, that wants equality among the magical races. You spoke with such fervor I could almost see it happening, and I felt your determination and will through our bond. With such a goal in mind, the power to back your plans up, and the kindness you have shown me, and therefore my species, I ask of you one thing __Harry.~ _Here she pierced him with _that look_ again, and Harry once more found himself entranced by those deep amber eyes which seemed to peer into his soul...hell she probably was with a gaze that intense.

She continued gazing at him for a moment more before giving a subtle nod...apparently she found whatever she was looking for. ~_Will you, Harry James Potter, accept the position of The Serpents' Avatar?~_

Harry didn't answer for many moments, although it was not due to deep contemplation...no it was something a bit more simple than that. His thoughts were simply, _'Well...I didn't see that coming. The Serpents' Avatar huh? That sounds...important...whatever the hell it is. Guess she forgot to mention what exactly it was in all the excitement...oh well, no time like the present!'_

~_Umm, Nagini? Not to sound rude or anything, but just what exactly IS 'The Serpents' Avatar'? I've never heard of anything like it.'~_ As soon as Harry finished speaking, he saw something he would treasure the rest of his life...and keep as possible blackmail. Nagini blinked at him, blinked at him once more, then promptly ducked her head under his cloak with what could only be a snake's version of embarrassment written all over her snout. Hell, he was almost getting embarrassed _for_ her with the waves of it coming through the bond. Now laughing, Harry fished her head out from under his cloak after some initial resistance from her and held her head in front of his own, though she wouldn't meet his eyes. Greatly amused, Harry decided to alleviate Nagini of her embarrassment.

~_Now Nagini, no need to be all embarrassed; I'm sure you were just nervous about the conversation and left out the details in your rush to ask me. Now, what exactly is 'The Serpents' Avatar'?~_

It took a moment, but Nagini finally looked back up at him and locked eyes once more, her voice still holding trace amounts of embarrassment, though they were quickly fading.

~_Right...anyways, 'The Serpents' Avatar' is basically the voice for our species. While most magical races can understand each other, there are those that can not be understood by normal means; we snakes are one of those species. While lately we have had no need of such a being due to the highly prejudiced Ministry here in Britain, what you plan means that our voice will need to be heard; and you would be that voice Harry. However that is not all it entails; by accepting this position, you will forever be linked to our species...this is not something you can simply step down from, it is a life-long position. In addition to being our voice, you will also become our de facto leader; you will even have sway over the Basilisks...though I fear there may be none left besides me, but I hope I'm wrong. Snakes of every imaginable type will obey you; those who do not would be shunned. Even more, there is a high likelihood that species closely related to us will at least give you respect, if not deference. One well known close relative of our species is the dragons...though I admit they will most likely simply accept you and nothing more.~_

By the end of her speech Harry was reeling at the offer...he would be some type of snake ruler! But this train of though made him pause and ask a question. "All this sounds very good Nagini...but how exactly do you have the authority to speak on behalf of all the serpents?"He was expecting Nagini to say something like she didn't have it and it needed some type of odd vote, but he was proven wrong when she seemed to swell with pride, and her voiced matched it when she responded.

_~I have the authority because I am a Basilisk, Harry. In my species, Basilisks are considered the royalty of the serpents and as such decisions like this fall under our judgement. While I may only be __half-basilisk, the fact that my mother was one is considered ample enough reason to consider me royalty. Now for a decision of this magnitude I would usually have to convene with the other Basilisks in England and then we would all decide...but I am the only one left, at least in Britain. I know this because all snakes are able to sense other snakes within certain ranges, and Basilisks have the greatest range of them all; I can sense any Basilisk within the British Isles...and since I do not, I know I am the only one here, thus the decision falls solely unto me. Now that you know I have the authority to do such, I'll ask you again Harry: do you accept the position of 'The Serpents' Avatar'?~_

Harry got into a slightly more comfortable position as he thought over her offer. _'Huh...I've got royalty wrapped around my torso...who'd have thought? Anyways, lets compare the pros and cons shall we? Pros: Snakes everywhere will obey me, even Basilisks if there are any left...that's a good number of allies. There is the possibility of closely related species becoming allied with me as well if I play my cards right. Third, I'll be holding a position of considerable influence, at least with the other magical species...that will come in handy when I need to sway some. And last, I'll be making a better image for serpents...sound pretty bloody good so far. Now for the cons: well its almost a guarantee that if the wizarding world finds out about it, I'll become public enemy number two...wait, aren't I in that position already? Pfft, well then that doesn't really matter. Ok... I'll probably be under the spotlight a bit more at Hogwarts...nothing really new there...can't think of anything else really. Yeah, not really a hard choice this time.' _Coming out of his musings, he was greeted by the sight of Nagini's snout really, really close to his face...damn she liked to stare! Clearing his throat, he smiled and spoke the words Nagini had been hoping for.

_~Well, I've already cast in my lot with you; might as well cast it with the whole species, huh? Count me in Nagini.~_

**Ending Notes:**And there's chapter three! I hope you guys enjoyed it. Next chapter will most likely involve Harry and Nagini visiting Ragnok once more quickly, then a bit of shopping, followed up by...well you'll just have to see! :P Now then, on to review answers; remember, I'm only answering reviews that have relevant questions, though I will always read every review; you deserve as much.

**Whitey: Oooh, a very good review, I thank you for the effort you put into it. I know the Peverell line came from the Potter side of the family in canon, but I wanted his mother to contribute to his heritage substantially in this story, so I threw it in; might not be canon, but neither will this story (from the end of 5th year +). About the Deathly Hallows; don't worry they will have a role in this story; the Peverell line was chosen for a reason. As for the wealth, yes it may be a bit extreme, but it isn't impossible. Just look at Bill Gates (common example I know, but it works), he has what...70+ billion or more? And he made that in his lifetime. What I figure, is that while wizards may not have huge multinational corporations, they most likely do have most of the gold; just look at Gringotts, the goblins are practically swimming in it. That and considering that the Potter line is a very old line were my main reasons behind the large amount of money. There will be some things that Nagini will have trouble grasping, but in this story she has had interactions with humans before she met Harry (and before she was controlled), so for the most part she will have little problems adjusting. Now other snakes...that could be a different story. There's no mistaking that goblins are greedy; they own the single bank the wizards have, after all. I also know that they loathe the wizards for making them seem sub-par. However, consider these points; in this story, Harry's account is a very important account to them, due to its size. On top of this, he has shown open disapproval of the way wizards treat goblin. To cap it, Harry is a figurehead in the wizarding world; if the goblins were able to gain favor with Harry, he could very possibly gain the goblin nation more rights. As for Dumbledore bashing...well, sorry on this one, but in this story he will be evil; hope it doesn't ruin it for you, but the things that happened in the books and movies were just far too coincidental for me. One doesn't drop a baby off at a family whom is known to hate all thing magic and simply forget about him for ten years, only to send a letter address _"To The Cupboard Under The Stairs" _like there's nothing wrong with that...sorry, I just can't buy it. But still, I thank you for your in depth review!**

**Vandenbz: A good question, and one that will reveal itself in time. But really, what has Harry seen of the Weasleys other than their crooked Burrow? And don't worry, not all of his friends were fake, he will have some old friend remain.**

**Amaterasu's Vassal: Ah, but that would be giving away the plot my friend!**

**Master chief 118: Once more, I'd be ruining the plot if I told whom Harry is being paired with.**

**Ubetiburn: Ah, but that was a _green _snake in the department of mysteries, was it not? Suffice to say, that was not Nagini...the same goes for the Tri-Wizard event; green once more. Now to answer your "Harry knocking up a snake" question: I'll be blunt...I don't write smut. Period. There will almost always be a pairing in my stories, and there is a possibility of risque situations in them...but I don't write sex scenes, sorry. The M rating is mainly for blood, gore, and language.**

**Magician Girl Mirani: Interesting idea on another armor set: I already have an armor set in my mind for Harry, but not sure about Nagini...I'll give it some thought. Will Harry have an animagus...hell yes he will. Will he have creature inheritance? More than you can imagine. Talking to Hedwig...that's something to look into. I'll go ahead and give a smidgen of plot here and say that yes, Remus _will_ be good...I just can't picture that dude as evil. And lastly, I didn't have any plans for the veil for this story.**


	4. Birth of the Avatar

**Right! Here's the next chapter of "Awakening of the Serpents' Avatar"! Sorry for the long absence, my other story has my reasons listed at the beginning of its last chapter...no use saying it twice. Now then, many have asked me questions about the story that I will not answer at the end of the chapter for one very simple reason: it would ruin the plot for everyone. Even still, if you _really_ want to just ruin some plot for yourself, simply state in your review that if its sensitive information that I message the answer to you, which I will if indeed the info would ruin the plot. Not to much else to say, and I'd rather not rant aimlessly, so without further ado let the chapter begin!**

"Blah blah blah" – Normal speaking.

_'Blah blah blah' – _Thoughts.

'Blah blah blah' – Thought-speak.

_~Blah blah blah_~ – Parseltongue (or layman's terms, snake-speak)

"_blah blah blah" - _Spells.

-(location)- : this tells the reader where the scene changed to.

~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~

^Obviously denotes a scene change^

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to the Harry Potter book series. However, I DO own this fanfiction story.**

**Birth of the Avatar**

Nagini gave the snake version of a smile at his answer...really, she should have expected it, but his willingness to help her species out was truly a gift. She squeezed Harry gently with her coils, imitating a hug for a few moments before she let up and uncoiled herself from Harry and slithered onto the floor in front of him.

Meanwhile with Harry, while he was glad to feel the happiness coming from the bond at his decision, he was confused as to why Nagini was now on the floor. _'Odd...hey wait! There's got to be something more to this that me simple saying I accept!'_ Snapping out of his thoughts, Harry decided to ask the only one who knew what they were doing; Nagini.

~_Err...Nagini? What exactly are we supposed to do? I figure something this big would require a bit more than a simple "I accept".~_

Nagini bobbed her head in acknowledgment before she gave her answer. _~You're correct Harry, there is indeed more, though it is quite simple. It requires a Basilisk to be present...or a half-basilisk in this case, and the one who accepted the position to place absolute faith in said basilisk. As for what we must do? It is quite simple; I must bite and inject my venom into you.~_

Her answer made Harry's face pale a few shades lighter. _'Come again? I could have sworn she just said she had to not only BITE me, but pump me full of BASILISK VENOM! I remember quite clearly how __well that sat with my body last time a basilisk thought I made a good chew toy.' _Harry quickly decided that he _really _needed Nagini to explain that one to him.

_~Ah. Erm...pardon me if I seem a little dubious, but just to make sure I heard you right; you want to inject me with your venom?~ _At her nod Harry sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration; nothing could be simple with him, could it? Regardless, he continued on. _~Right...see, now I have a little problem. I recall quite clearly the last time I was injected with Basilisk venom, and just how close to dying I came. If it wasn't for Fawkes, I WOULD have died. How exactly am I supposed to be The Serpents' Avatar if I'm dead? I know that some positions of high power have short terms, but that's a little ridiculous.~_

His response was almost dripping with incredulity and it caused Nagini to laugh at not only the nervousness in his voice, but the pallor his skin had taken at her declaration. However she had been expecting as much and wanted to quickly put Harry's fears at ease.

_~If a Basilisk were to inject you with their venom at any other time, you would be correct in worrying. However what you are unaware of is the fact that we Basilisks have two different types of venom stored in separate glands. The venom we use to kill our prey it held within one sac, which is far larger than the other due to its frequent use. The second venom is used for the sole purpose of marking an avatar; sounds a little wasteful I know, but it is something we basilisks must have if our Avatar is to survive. Simply put, once I inject you with this second venom your body will be altered by a very small margin. There will be no outward physical changes; the only change will be that your body will produce a very unique pheromone that will immediately inform other snakes within range of what you are.~ _When Nagini saw that her answer was relieving Harry, she decided to fully ease him of any worries. _~Besides Harry, I could inject you full of my poisonous venom and you would be just fine. It is one of the perks of our familiar bond; you can never be harmed by my venom. Now then, do you have any other worries you need me to alleviate you of?~ _At the end her voice was carrying a good deal of amusement and a slight bit of exasperation; did he honestly think she would harm him?

Harry was quick to catch onto the undertones in her voice and had the modesty to look down in embarrassment for a moment, but looked up and spoke to Nagini soon after. _~I'm sorry for my seemingly lack of faith in you Nagini, it just that what you said before brought back memories I rather would have left alone. I do not doubt your words, nor do I fear your bite; I trust you will not harm me. If all you need to do is bite me then so be it, I will gladly trust you with my life...right now you're the only one I fully trust.~ _With his proclamation finished, Harry took off his robe and shirt to give Nagini full access to wherever she wanted to bite him, momentarily forgetting what lied beneath.

For Nagini, she was greatly touched by Harry's honest declaration. She could feel his sincerity through the link, and although she knew that he already trusted her due to him accepting their bond, it was a very nice feeling for someone to tell you they trusted you with their very lives. However her pleasure at his comments was soon cast aside when Harry took off his robe and shirt, exposing his torso to Nagini under the lighting of the vault. If fact, her pleasure was completely snuffed out and replaced with a rage that would have made Voldemort falter; for now she saw what the years of abuse and neglect had done to _her bonded_! If she was completely honest with herself she was quite disturbed at the visage in front of her; it looked like a skeleton had some skin wrapped around it, and then tightened to the point that every detail of every bone was visible. However her rage far outweighed any measure of discomfort she felt, especially when she saw the scars that riddled his torso; scars she knew he did not receive from his years in Hogwarts. It was one thing to see memories of the abuse...it was an entirely different matter seeing the results of said abuse. With an enraged hiss Nagini resumed her true size of 30+ feet and lifted a good seven feet of it off the ground in her rage...if she had a hood it would have been flared.

It was a given fact that Harry was quite startled after he took off his upper garments. The explosion of rage he could feel rolling off of Nagini, combined with the sudden return to her true size and her now towering form sent Harry onto the floor, reeling from the sheer rage Nagini was emanating. However the reasons for such rage were unknown to him...until he followed her gaze to his torso. _'Ah...well shit, I did have plans to get back at the Dursleys for their 'kind' treatment of me over the years..." _Here he glanced one more into her eyes and had to hold back a shudder at the rage he could see within those amber orbs _'...however I don't think I have that option anymore. I'll be lucky if there's even any trace of them left after Nagini's through with them.'_ As his gaze once more trailed over Nagini's massive form, his startled visage slowly morphed into a smile as he beheld her in her true size. He had absolutely no problem admitting that she was _very_ intimidating, but he could also safely say that he had never felt so safe in his life. _'I have a bloody queen of snakes as my familiar...damn that's brilliant!'_

As Harry was admiring her form, Nagini herself noticed that her sudden rage had literally sent Harry reeling onto the floor. She quickly lowered herself down to the floor once more, slowly slithered to Harry, and began winding her massive coils around his prone form. However she did not let up on her rage, letting him know just how furious she was at what his..._relatives_ had done to him. When she spoke, the rage in her voice was palpable, yet what made it even worse was the fact that her voice was completely stoic when she spoke.

_~Harry...I will tell you thisss now. When the time comesss, your relativesss will pay dearly for their transssgresssionss againssst you. I will fully allow you to have your revenge againssst Dumbledore and whomever elssse manipulated you; but I will be the one to avenge you concerning your dear relativesss. Do you undersstand thisss, Harry?_ When all she received was a meek nod in reply, her demeanor shifted back to her pleased state it had been before and she rubbed her massive head against his cheek as she finished coiling around his form.

_~Good. Now that we have that matter settled, I want to say thank you for putting such trust in me; it won't be abused. Even though it should be obvious I will warn you regardless; this will hurt. The venom itself will not, but the fangs most certainly will, however you don't need to worry about injury; the nature of the bite and the venom itself will make sure that the wound is almost instantaneously healed after I am done. I will ask you once more before I bite you Harry; are you sure you want this? If you accept, you will forevermore be our avatar until death takes you.~_

Harry didn't even need to think about the answer; the benefits far outweighed the negatives as far as he was concerned. Besides, becoming the avatar would undoubtedly get him on even better terms with Nagini, whom was quite possibly his first _true _best friend. So instead of answering verbally he just gave a resolute nod, and Nagini in turn did the same before shrinking back down to her 'small' form of 8 feet. Harry mentally sighed in relief at this; he really didn't want her to skewer him, and considering that her head was larger than his own when she was at her true size, he had a feeling her fangs would have been massive. However he still was still a bit nervous when Nagini opened her mouth and revealed her fangs...they might have been smaller than they would have been if she was full size, but they were still a good two inches. As she slowly approached him, Harry prepared himself for when he thought she was going to strike but was caught off guard when she unexpectedly shot out and sank her fangs into the junction where his shoulder met his neck, eliciting a sharp hiss of pain from Harry at the sudden action. Thankfully she was very quick about it and pulled out mere moments after striking, and true to her word the wound itself quickly sealed up. Her work done, Nagini retreated a little to watch and wait for Harry to acclimate.

As for Harry, he was still slightly stunned by just how quick the process was. Although Nagini had deceived him with her slow movements he was quite glad she did; he knew it would have been worse if she didn't strike him unawares. However now that it was over, he observed that Nagini had simply retreated back to her coils and returned to her full size, basically surrounding Harry with a wall of snake while she gazed at him in expectation. It was at this point he decided to sit down, resting his back against Nagini's coils as he waited for...whatever was supposed to happen. At first he didn't feel anything other than an odd tingling where he was bitten, but soon noticed that the feeling began to quickly spread; obviously using his circulatory system as a means of transportation. Soon the sensation covered his entire body, and Harry admittedly felt weird and a bit uncomfortable. Thankfully such a sensation did not last long, and soon the feeling faded until it was as if nothing happened. Harry sighed in relief and looked at Nagini before he spoke.

_~Erm...well the weird sensation I was feeling is no longer there, does that mean its done?~_

Nagini's head once more approached him and her forked tongue shot out, tasting the air around him. Almost as quickly as she tasted the air, she stopped and seemed to be quite pleased, if the feeling of contentment he was getting from her was any indication.

_~There is no doubt, you have the scent of our Avatar practically oozing from you; with the amount of pheromones you're putting out, any snake within a mile of you will be able to pick up your location by scent alone. You have done me and my species a great service today Harry; I was already extremely pleased to be your familiar, but knowing that you are now our Avatar gives me hope for serpents that I have not felt in a while. Perhaps with you as our representative we will once more rise to become an esteemed species again.~ _To emphasize her gratefulness she once more rubbed her head against his cheek, earning a chuckle from Harry in reply; it wasn't every day that a half-basilisk showed such affection...well at least for most people.

Unfortunately, not matter how much Harry honestly enjoyed spending some time with Nagini just talking, he knew he had a great amount of work to do and a depressingly short amount of time...he would need to find some more time, but he didn't know how...at least not yet. Reluctantly Harry stood up from his comfortable position of resting against Nagini's coils and spoke up while putting his clothing back on, knowing they needed to get a move on.

_~Well, I will most certainly try my very best to make sure serpents are respected once more, however I'm afraid we've stayed here long enough. I think for now I'll leave the gems in the vault; if I need any I can just get Dobby to bring me in here now that he's permitted. For now, lets leave Gringotts and do a little shopping; I want to be well prepared when the time comes. Return to your smaller size and climb on Nagini, we have much to do and little time in which to do it.~_

Nagini needed no further prompting, very pleased by how assertive Harry was becoming and the amount of planning he was doing; he would have made a good Slytherin indeed. She immediately shrunk down and slithered up his legs and under his cloak before wrapping her body around his torso once more with her head resting on his left shoulder. She inwardly gave a sigh of relief as his body heat warmed her; that floor was cold!

Harry smiled as he picked up on the pleased emotions emanating through their bond and began the walk back to the cart, being extra sure to walk a little faster as he passed the...guard. As he walked through the dark passage back towards the cart and Griphook, he couldn't help but wonder how long it would be until Dumbledore's little group finally figured out he was gone.

~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~

-(Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Approximately 30 minutes before)-

In the highest tower of the massive castle which acted as a school, an elder man sat in a very...uniquely decorated room, and was dressed just as uniquely. Apparently he was either colorblind or was trying very hard to make anyone with a fashion sense die from horror with the apparel he wore...but that is neither here nor there. Ignoring the painful surroundings, the man himself looked like the cat that caught the canary, and in his mind he had every right to be smug.

Sitting back in his plush chair, Albus Dumbledore, self-proclaimed leader of the light and all around good guy, popped a lemon drop into his mouth as he let a pleased grin etch itself onto his wrinkled face as he thought about past events. For him, the events that occurred during the last school year could not have gone better if he tried. For one, the 'Occlumency training' that he had Severus 'teach' young Harry exceeded his expectations. Oh, he very well knew that Occlumency had absolutely nothing to do with clearing your mind; after all, the point is to build defenses in your mind against invaders. By making sure Severus instructed Harry to 'clear his mind', he was ensuring that any mental defenses the boy may have had were torn down, for that is what clearing your mind does. At first Severus had been _quite_ reluctant to teach the boy anything, but quickly acquiesced once he understood what Albus wanted.

As this thought crossed his mind, Albus couldn't help but chuckle. Really, Severus was just far too easy to manipulate; anything that would cause Harry harm, Severus was all to happy to carry out. His obsessive hatred that was aimed towards anything related to James Potter ensured that his ire would be solely focused upon Harry. And while Albus knew this and was well aware that Severus would greatly weaken the boy's mental defenses, even he was surprised by the ferocity in which Severus attacked the boy's mind, if the events at the Department of Mysteries were anything to go by. Honestly, old Tom nearly possessed the boy's body due to Harry's mental state! It was only due to some unknown miracle or the boys stubbornness that he managed to evict Tom, but it mattered little; the soul bond between both Harry and Tom was very, _very _close to being complete, it just needed a little more and it would be finished. Tom was a fool to think that he did not have a plan that could counter his Horcruxes; when the bond was fully formed between Harry and Tom, it would fully connect their souls...any and all Horcrux pieces included. After that, all Albus had to do was get rid of Harry, killing Tom in the process for good. Then, as he would be the only one to know what really happened, Albus could turn the death of Harry Potter into a noble sacrifice, which enabled him to finally finish the evil Dark Lord Voldemort. After all, who would question him? The Death Eaters? They would be too afraid of being found out to step into the limelight, leaving Albus to be not only the defeater of Grindelwald, but Voldemort as well. With the defeat of the two most powerful Dark Lords in his repertoire, Albus would be ensured that his word was always listened to and obeyed, ensuring his leadership of the wizarding world.

And to make it even better an unexpected, but certainly not unwelcome surprise occurred during the Department of Mysteries incident; Sirius Black died! Ever since the mut had made his way back to Harry, Sirius' mischievous yet wary ways had been slowly eroding Harry's dependence and trust in Albus. He had been feverishly wracking his mind to find a method by which he could get rid of Sirius' influence, and it had been handed to him on a silver platter; he didn't even have to do anything! The death of his Godfather had undoubtedly weakened the boy's mental state even further, and to clinch it Albus made sure that Harry had no contact with the wizarding world this summer. He had no doubt in his mind that the boy's repulsive relatives would do everything in their power to make Harry's life a living hell, and that was exactly what Albus was hoping for. If everything went according to plan, he may just be rid of Tom and the Boy-who-lived by the end of the year, perhaps even sooner!

However, before Albus could delve any further into the ingenuity of his plans and manipulations, his fireplace flared before a very disheveled looking Mundungus Fletcher stumbled through, looking like Voldemort was on his heels. Albus shot up out of his seat at once and placed a worried expression on his face, even though he was feeling quite annoyed at this point. If he wasn't mistaken, it was Fletcher's turn to guard Harry. His fears were confirmed when after a moment of composing himself, Fletcher finally spoke up.

"Albus! I just did the routine hourly "point-me" spell used to make sure Harry was inside the house, and instead of pointing towards the house it pointed towards London! Harry isn't there! I don't know what happened, but they boy is missing!" Fletcher made sure to not look Albus in the eyes, after all, he didn't need to know that he was sleeping when it probably happened.

As for Albus himself, he whipped around and peered at a shelf that held an odd assortment of gizmos that whirled, changed colors and even let out little puffs of smoke. Each of these were monitors, and most were for Harry. Sure enough, his eyes finally fell on one that was glowing red when it should have been green...the one that monitored whether or not Harry was within the house. Silently berating himself for not noticing it sooner, Albus began thinking furiously on what could have happened. Could Death Eaters have taken Harry? No, Severus would have informed him of this well beforehand. It most certainly couldn't have been any of his friends; Albus himself made sure that Ron and Hermoine were firmly in his pocket, so they wouldn't have taken Harry anywhere...and for that matter, just _what_ did the boy want in London? Then it hit him; Diagon Alley, that had to be the reason. The boy probably wanted to get away from his relatives; that combined with the rebellious attitude he had shown when Albus told him of the 'prophecy', and it all made sense, Harry was simply rebelling. Well, that wouldn't do at all; he needed the boy to follow his plan, and this wasn't part of it. Quickly forming a few plans, Albus apparated to Grimald Place and activated the phoenix pendant in one of his pockets. It only took a few minutes for the rest of the Order to arrive, and once it did Albus resumed what he called the "kindly old man" persona.

"There is no time to waste with pleasantries I'm afraid; Harry is missing." Ignoring the shocked gasps around him and the despairing semi-howl from Remus, Dumbledore continued on.

"I want you Minerva to go to Privet Drive and question the Dursleys, see if they know what happened. Severus, Arthur, Tonks, Remus, Shacklebolt, Alastor, you're with me, we'll be scouring Diagon Alley. The rest of you, search London under notice-me-not charms for Harry. Make haste, we don't want anything to happen to Harry!" Severus' sneer said differently, but Albus ignored it. Soon, the sound of apparition filled the air once more as everyone went off to their separate assignments. None of them could have began to comprehend the sheer impact that Harry's actions that day would eventually cause.

~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~

-(Gringotts: Vault Section)-

Harry comforted Nagini as they exited the cart, a little distressed that he made her go through such a thing again. Fortunately she seemed to handle it better than the first time, but it didn't ease the guilt he felt. As if reading his thoughts, he felt Nagini's presence in his mind strengthen before her voice resounded throughout his head.

'Now Harry, we've already discussed this; you didn't know before, and we had to get back up here didn't we? Stop blaming yourself for what you cannot control. Now then, what exactly do you plan on shopping for?'

Harry could feel the curiosity coming from Nagini and let a small smirk grace his face under the hood he now wore, but decided to indulge her...it wasn't smart to upset a half-basilisk, familiar or not.

'Well, for one we won't actually be shopping in Diagon Alley. We'll be heading to Knockturn Alley instead. What we want will not be found in the prejudiced society under the scrutiny of the Ministry. As for what I plan on shopping for? Honestly not too much, I plan on buying a far better trunk than the one I currently have, and I plan to thoroughly raid the apothecary for any and all potion ingredients, some of which I have no doubt will be highly illegal under ministry law. Then, I plan on getting the trace from my wand removed somehow; the last thing I need is the ministry breathing down my neck. And last but certainly not least, I plan on getting some supplies for you. I have no doubt of your hunting prowess, but I imagine that even you would enjoy a 'pre-prepared' meal every now and then, no? Good thing I asked Griphook if there was any way to carry a large amount of money, the bag directly linked to my vaults will most certainly come in handy with how much spending I plan on doing'

Throughout Harry's explanation, Nagini listened and agreed with the plans he made; he was quickly learning how to protect himself while planning ahead. However when he mentioned the last tidbit about getting something for her, she was momentarily stunned at his generosity, but quickly remembered just who she was with; so far Harry had shown nothing but kindness to her. With a pleased hiss, Nagini agreed with his plans and rested her head on his shoulder once more, watching through the shadows of his cloak as he walked through Gringotts.

Harry was just about to enter the main lobby of Gringotts when he spotted a few_ very _familiar faces meandering about the lobby, and he only needed one guess at just why they were there. _'Shit! Seems like I was right, the Order was quick to react to my disappearance, no doubt Dumbledore is desperate to get his puppet back. Well fat bloody chance of that you old coot!'_ Harry swiftly turned around and headed back deeper into Gringott's, looking for a goblin. When he finally found one, he calmly approached the Goblin.

Upon noticing Harry, the Goblin seemed to tense in preparation for attack, no doubt wonder just why a human of all things was back here. Not wanting to start a conflict, Harry lowered his hood and showed his face as he spoke up.

"Sorry to startle you good Goblin, but I must ask you a question. Is there another way out of Gringotts other than the main entrance, and if so may I take it? I ask such because there is an...unsavory group looking out for me in the main lobby."

The Goblin relaxed as he recognized Harry; Ragnok was very quick to spread the message about Harry Potter and just how important said client was to Gringotts. He couldn't care less if the boy was in trouble; the fact of the matter was that an important client needed help, therefore Gringotts would in turn help him. Nodding, he motioned for Harry to follow him as he spoke.

"Of course Mr. Potter, there is an entrance in the back that we goblins use to come to and from Gringotts. There is an additional entrance where we send and receive shipments of wealth, but even a client as influential as you is not allowed there due to security reasons."

Harry simply nodded in reply, the Goblin's reasons were sound, and Harry knew just how protective Goblins were of their wealth. Soon they both arrived at an inconspicuous set of double doors that led out into a medium alleyway. Harry quickly thanked the Goblin for his assistance and headed out with his face well-concealed within the hood he now wore. Looking around, Harry noticed that the alley was very close to the entrance to Knockturn Alley and mentally sighed in relief; if the Order found him right now, all would be lost. Harry quickly and quietly weaved his way through the crowded streets and made sure to keep far away from the occasional Order group he saw. Thankfully he did not have any trouble and soon found himself in the gloomy corridors of Knockturn Alley. His first visit here had been very brief, but the differences between this alley and Diagon were like comparing night and day. Where Diagon was open, lively and cheerful, Knockturn was secretive, dark and foreboding. However this did nothing to stop Harry from walking determinedly through the alley as he looked for any shops that might contain the things he needed.

After many turns and many suspicious and wary looks from the few pedestrians within the alley, Harry finally came across a shop he remembered all to well; Borgin and Burkes. While the first time he was in there was certainly unpleasant, he also remembered very clearly just how much variety the shop had. He also had no doubt that a good deal of the wares were not open to the public, but he would remedy that; after all, Borgin was quite the greedy man if he recalled correctly. His mind made up, Harry swiftly veered of the main road and into the gloomy shop itself as a small bell announced his entrance. Soon enough, the sleazy man himself came out of somewhere in the back of the shop to see who had entered. When his eyes fell upon the relatively short frame of Harry in his cloak, the man sneered before he spoke.

"And just _what_ is a brat doing in my shop? Beat it kid, I don't sell toys or candy."

Harry had been expecting such a pleasant introduction from the man, but nevertheless refused to put up with Borgin's attitude. With this in mind, when Harry spoke his words were emotionless, cold and indifferent, sounding nothing like the Harry his 'friends' knew.

"Nor do I come here to seek such, Mr. Borgin. If I had wanted such trivial things I would have taken my shopping to Diagon. No, I seek things that certain...groups would frown upon. Tell me Mr. Borgin, do you have potion ingredients?"

Harry's cold and emotionless answer somewhat unnerved Borgin, sounding far to familiar to a similar boy that had worked for him long ago. However, when the boy mentioned he was interested in looking for clearly illegal items, he gave him a shrewd look before he responded.

"Maybe I do, but if I did they would be quite expensive if the ingredients are of a questionable nature. I doubt that a child such as yourself could afford such things."

While his insult seemed to not bother the boy at all, Borgin was quite surprised and more than a little frightened when angry hisses began to emanate from the boy's cloak. When the head of a large and angry looking snake came out of the cloak, Borgin almost fell to the floor in fright, though he did manage to crash against his counter. Even more unnerving was the fact that the boy was obviously not bothered by the snake in the least, and to even further his shock the boy seemed to _soothe _the bloody thing before it returned to its hidden resting place. It was slowly dawning on Borgin that perhaps he should start treating the boy with a little more respect...especially with that damn snake around.

While as Borgin was having a fit, Harry was greatly amused and a little touched at the scene. Amused because Borgin looked as if he was on the verge of having a seizure, and touched due to Nagini's actions. While he was admittedly angered by the man's blatant disrespect, the anger he felt through the bond let him know that Nagini was far more angry than he, and her actions proved it. Before Nagini decided that the man would make a nice meal, Harry spoke up to her mentally to calm her down, all the while stroking the scales on the lower back of her head to help calm her.

'Now Nagini, just because the man disrespected me does not mean he is fit to become a meal. I can understand you anger and I do appreciate you standing up for me, but let us see if he can be reasonable. If he continues with his baseless disrespect, then and only then can you retaliate, but for now calm yourself, alright?'

It took a few moments more, but Nagini reluctantly receded back into the confined of Harry's cloak, but not before she shot the foul man one last venomous glare. Huffing a little at not being able to put this man in his place, she responded to Harry; the pout was clearly envisioned when she spoke.

'Very well Harry, I'll let the man be...for now. But mark my words, if he continues to show such open disrespect I _will_ be showing him just deadly my bite can be.'

Harry had to try very hard not to laugh at Nagini's attitude; he really enjoyed having her around. After composing himself for a moment, he refocused his attention on the form of Borgin once more, who seemed to be a little meeker than he had been before...good. Adopting his emotionless voice once more, Harry spoke up again.

"...As you can see Mr. Borgin, any further insults on my person would be most unwise, lest you rouse my snake's ire again. As for your concerns about my ability to pay, rest assured I am well funded...surely you recognize this pouch, no?"

At this, Harry drew Borgin's attention to his side where a brown pouch with gold stitches resided, making Borgin's eyes grow wide. He immediately recognized the pouch; it was goblin made, and was only issued to Gringotts clients that held a great deal of monetary wealth. And just as quickly as his eyes widened, they soon filled with greed and ways in which he could swindle the boy before him. However he was interrupted from his musings when Harry spoke up once more, his voice having taken on a colder tone.

"I see you recognize it. Do not think for one second that I am some spoiled rich child just waiting to be cheated. Don't look so surprised, you really need to work on hiding your expressions; the look of greed that just came over your face was absolutely revolting...but I digress. To make matters simple, I offer you a simple warning; you cheat me, my snake takes the difference out of your hide, understood?"

And with impeccable timing, Nagini once more peeked out from under Harry's cloak and leered at Borgin, making the warning all too clear. Borgin paled slightly at the treat and decided that perhaps he would be somewhat reasonable on his prices with this boy, lest he end up missing a few pounds of flesh or more. He nodded his head and responded, now just wanting the boy to get what he needed and then leave.

"Y-Yes, I understand sir. You wanted potion ingredients of the more...questionable type, correct? Well you've certainly found the right place, I consider myself a hoarder of all manners of questionable items, but you won't find the majority of them out here. Follow me sir, and you'll have your ingredients."

And with that, Borgin proceeded to slink back into the area that he originally came from, with Harry cautiously walking behind him. Both he and Nagini were weary of a trap, and so were keeping a constant vigil around them. Borgin stopped in front of what appeared to be simply a sparsely decorated wall, but with a few whispered words the wall seemed to split and fold inward, revealing the true shop of Borgin and Burkes. While the front shop had items strewn about in random, this one seemed to have the wares in at least some semblance of order. Harry quickly spotted the shelves that contained potion ingredients and walked towards the shelves, but on his way there he passed a section that caught his interest; trunks.

_'Now how in the hell are these trunks illegal?' _Not really all that interested in the reasons, Harry strode up to them and appraised them. While most looked like your typical, if slightly high class trunks, there were a few that were decidedly different, and one in particular that drew his attention...mainly due to the fact that it was massive. Even more interesting was the fact that this trunk in particular had something that none of the others had; gems. However they did not appear to be for decoration _'Though they certainly add to the appeal'_; for one they were situated on the edges of the trunk with the exception of one located in the center of the trunk itself. And secondly, the sapphire situated in the middle had what appeared to be an extremely intricate rune carved onto its surface. Last, and perhaps the oddest trait about this trunk was that it had no apparent openings; it simply looked like a box. Turning to Borgin who had been observing him from a distance, Harry decided to voice his curiosity.

"Mr. Borgin, this trunk; how does it open? And while we're on the matter, is there a history behind this trunk? It is by far the most unique of them all."

The man seemed to go into thought for a moment as he rubbed his chin, staring at the beautiful trunk. After a minute he seemed to recall something, for he suddenly straightened up and snapped his fingers with a small exclamation of "Aha!".

"Ah yes, now I remember; to be completely honest I don't know too much about it. I received it when a woman came into my shop with the trunk floating in behind her; she looked like she had seen better days. I had a good idea what she wanted and I was right; she wanted to essentially pawn the trunk...according to the women it was allotted to her in her father's will, and now she needed money and thought that it would fetch a good price. To make a long story short, I paid her for the trunk and now here it is...to be honest I had forgotten about it until you pointed it out. As for how its opened...your guess is as good as mine, I just bought it due to the physical value."

Harry simply nodded in reply as he barely held back a snort of contempt. He had no doubts that he swindled the woman, but for now he was very curious about the trunk and how it opened. As he peered at the intricate seal on the trunk, Nagini decided to speak up about an idea of her own.

'Harry, what if it is like your vault and needs blood? I don't know any more than you about runes, but its worth a try.'

Harry blinked for a moment before he smiled and stroked Nagini once more, thanking her for the suggestion. Without even needing to ask, Harry held his finger under his cloak and felt a prick as Nagini punctured it with a fang. Holding it out over the gem, Harry let one drop of his blood fall onto it and jumped back; you could never be too prepared, after all.

For a moment everything remained as it was, until Harry noticed the blood seemingly absorbing into the large sapphire. After it was completely absorbed, the sapphire itself began to glow a soft blue, which soon caused the corner gems to glow their own respective colors of yellow for Topaz, red for ruby, white for diamond, green for emerald, black for onyx, purple for amethyst, turquoise for...turquoise, and finally a light green for jade. After every gem was bathing the room in a soft rainbow light, a small trench seemed to carve itself all the way across the trunk, after which a soft 'click' was heard and the top opened slightly, showing that the trunk was now open.

Harry and Nagini marveled at the beauty of such a sight, but quickly composed themselves as Harry approached the now open trunk, completely ignoring a gaping Borgin behind them. Just as Harry was about to fully open the trunk, his eyes fell upon his very name now etched onto the edge of the trunk in gold, reading _"Harry James Potter". _He was surprised to see it there, but figured the trunk recognized him from his blood and put the matter aside; he had a trunk to explore! With only the slightest of grins to give away his excitement, Harry swung open the trunk and was greeted by what appeared to be a ladder descending into darkness. This only served to excite him even more...that mean that this trunk had rooms inside it! He had only heard of such trunks but had never seen them, apparently they were only custom built and _quite _expensive. Thankfully he was _quite _wealthy, so such barriers were no longer a problem for him.

He shared Nagini's senses again and both of them tried to see if there was anything alive in the trunk...doubtful, but one can never be too sure. When all they could 'smell' was stale air and dust, they both deemed it devoid of life and Harry went down the latter into the darkness. As he descended, he was beginning to think that he would need to go back up and get some form of light, as so far everything was pitch black. As if to answer his thoughts, baseball size orbs of pale-blue light seemed to phase into existence on a now visible ceiling, which was a good ten feet above him now. Looking down, he noticed that he was only two feet from the bottom and quickly found himself on the floor, marveling at the sight that greeted him, having no doubt that Nagini was doing the same due to the wonder he felt coming from her.

The room that he landed in had a tall 12' ceiling which was peppered with the small glowing blue balls that Harry assumed was some variation of the _lumos_ spell, casting the room in a light-blue glow. From the sofas, coffee table and bookshelves that lined the walls, it was obvious the room was a study, and a comfortable one at that. It was about 15' in diameter and was in a circular shape, with the bookshelves against the wall all the way around, with the two exceptions for the space where the ladder came down and the area directly opposite the ladder, where a door resided. Of course there were no books, but Harry certainly had enough from his vaults to fill the place up.

Deciding there was nothing else to do in this room, Harry opened the door and walked into a well furnished bedroom. Once more it was a circular shape, seeming of the same size as the last, with a large king size bed situated in the middle of the room adorned with black blankets with gold trim. The walls in here were draped with decorative tapestry, each once more adopting the black and gold theme. An oak dresser rested behind the head of the bed, and just to his left a mahogany work-desk resided up against the wall and tapestry. On his right a large mirror stood, somewhat resembling the Mirror of Erised he had encountered before in Hogwarts. Just beyond the mirror and work-desk, two more doors resided along the wall, equidistant from each-other and the door he just came from.

Going to the one on the left first, Harry opened the door and was greeted with the sight of tiles. He didn't even need to look around to know it was the restroom. Unlike the bedroom, here the tiles were a calming combination of sapphire blue and opal, swirled together in each tile, giving the room the appearance of being underwater. The half of the room the door occupied had a simple toilet to one side and a sink on the other. However, the entire other side of the room was taken up by a bath that rivaled the one the prefects used in Hogwarts, but obviously was not full of water at the moment. Quite impressed with what he had seen so far, Harry once more entered the bedroom before he made his way over to the last room and opened it.

What waited for him inside was a kitchen/dining room combination, with the kitchen on the far side and the dining room on the side the door was located. The dining table and chairs were nothing too extravagant, simply a plain mahogany table with four mahogany chairs tucked under it. The kitchen had what appeared to be an oven, a large cooler of some type, a sink, and a decent sized pantry. Thoroughly satisfied, Harry proceeded to exit the trunk, all the while marveling at the feats one could accomplish with magic.

As he climbed out, he was greeted to the sight of Borgin peering down into the trunk, who quickly backed away once Harry's hooded face emerged from the darkness. Once Harry had made his way out, he turned to Borgin and addressed him.

"An excellent trunk Mr. Borgin, I will be purchasing it. However before we move onto the potion ingredients, I'm wondering if there is a way to take the trace off of my wand. I do not like the idea of someone spying on me."

Borgin nodded his head at this; he had customers ask of such a thing before and was prepared to do such, however it did not come free. Upon voicing this, the boy merely sighed in exasperation before waving it on, apparently accepting the cost. After Borgin took out his own wand, he began pointed it at Harry and with a flourish made a thrusting motion to finish while whispering a quiet, _"Lanus Effrego"._ A small white ball shot out of his wand at towards Harry, where it smashed into a seemingly invisible wall around the boy which proceeded to promptly shatter. As the boy looked at the shimmering remnants of the tracking spells, Borgin subtly regained his breath; that spell was a powerful one, and always took a bit out of him.

Even though the man was very quiet, Nagini had been able to hear his whispered words and both had watched the wand movements, fully planning on practicing such later. When the spell struck, Harry was somewhat surprised when an invisible barrier around him shattered like glass and slowly dissipated, wondering just how many tracking spells were on him and his wand to garner such a visible reaction. However he already suspected that Dumbledore had placed several tracking spells of his own on Harry, and this just seemed to solidify it. Before he or Nagini could fume in anger at the thought of the old manipulator, Harry nodded to Borgin before he strode over to the potion ingredients. When he arrived, he noticed that there was a great deal of ingredients that he did not recognize, and a few that he did which brought back memories that he quickly banished.

After looking at the impressive supply of potion ingredients, Harry noticed a cauldron set that he had seen Snape brew his personal concoctions in while Harry was having detention with him, thus he could safely assume that these cauldrons were very high quality. Grabbing the cauldron set, Harry turned around and addressed Borgin for what would hopefully be the last time.

"Before we wrap things up, do you happen to have any items for a pet, a snake in particular? For that matter, any mice to feed one?"

Borgin only barely kept himself from scoffing, but his tone made it all too clear that he did not appreciate the question.

"Of course not. I specialize dark artifacts and illegal wares, not pet toys! If you're looking for that, there's a decently sized shop just around the corner named "Things That Go Bump in the Night"...odd name certainly, but the shop has plenty of such items."

Harry nodded as he walked up to the trunk and took out his wand, muttering _"Reducio"_ and picked it up once it had shrank to the size of a wallet. After he picked the minimized trunk up, Harry placed both the trunk and the cauldron set on the counter before addressing Borgin for the last time.

"I want these items and your potion ingredients; all of them."

Borgin nearly fell to the floor at what Harry said but quickly regained his footing as a greedy grin came across his face; he didn't even need to cheat the boy on this, his normal markup alone would land him a very large profit due to so many items being purchased. Not wanting to chance this opportunity, Borgin simply nodded and tallied up the good while Harry watched. The ending amount was...quite substantial, but Harry merely looked at it for a moment and nodded before he said the amount out-loud and upturned his gold bag, which proceeded to dump a small mount of galleons on Borgin's desk, much to the man's delight. Harry called Dobby and within seconds, the elf was emptying the shelves of any and all potion ingredients, which would be taken back to Potter Manor and put in the potion ingredient closet that was located there. His business done with the slimy business man, Harry said nothing more and simply left the shop with his newly acquired items in tow, following the short but hopefully accurate instructions.

Sure enough, as Harry rounded the corner he was greeted with the sight of a worn out sign that bore the name Borgin had told him. Honestly it wasn't much to look at; the sign looked like it was about to fall off, and the few windows the place had were so dirty that he couldn't see inside, but he knew that things were not always as they seemed. As Harry entered the shop, the first sound to greet him was that of some feline hissing from a cage to his left. Taking a look around, it really didn't look all that different from the Magical Menagerie. The only real differences were that the lighting was dimmer in here, and that the animals sold were obviously not the normal household pets. For instance, that feline hissing he heard had apparently come from a very pissed-off looking panther that was eyeing him with obvious hunger from behind its bars. Most did not look too dangerous to him (besides the panther), but he had a feeling that the shops in Knockturn all operated the same; a semi-legal looking facade that hid the true shop from prying eyes. As he looked around, Nagini alerted him to the approaching footsteps of someone coming.

As Harry turned in the direction that Nagini heard the noise from, he was greeted by the sight of a man who would have stood a good chance of going head to head with Hagrid. However, where Hagrid was kind, cheerful and a bit rotund, this man was severe, irritated and quite muscular. Harry was feeling very tempted to take a step or ten away from this behemoth, but Nagini's earlier advice made him hold his ground, if just barely.

The man spotted Harry and proceeded to walk up to him and stand no further than two feet away, making Harry crane his neck quite a ways to look at the man's face. The man said nothing as he scrutinized the diminutive child before him, but after taking a glance at the pouch underneath the boy's cloak, he assumed he was here to shop.

"Well? What are you standing around here gaping at me for? You're here to shop for something aren't you? Then get on with it, tell me what you're looking for so we can both get on with our lives!"

'Well, he's quite the patient man, isn't he Nagini?' All he got in reply was the slight shaking of her coils that gave away her mirth, but it had its intended effect of boosting Harry's courage a little. Straightening up himself as much as he could, Harry stared the man straight in his eyes from under the hood and resumed his emotionless voice once more.

"Straight to the point are we? Alright I'll bite; what I'm here for is supplies to care for a snake."

His response garnered a raised eyebrow from the giant before he spoke with some skepticism lacing his voice.

"For a snake you say? That's quite the uncommon 'pet', especially for a kid such as you. Just what would you be doing with a snake, and how do I know you're not just playing around?"

Harry didn't even deign to answer the first question, and to answer the second Nagini simply rose her head out of Harry's cloak once more, which earned them wide eyes from the man at not only seeing the snake, but the size of it. Taking a moment to work his features back into a semi-severe look, the man spoke up.

"Well then, you've certainly got a snake alright, a big one at that...alright, follow me but be warned; the room I'm leading you into has secrecy ward erected for what should be obvious reasons. Once you cross it, anything and everything you see in there will be kept secret; you won't be able to speak of it to others, nor write about it."

While Harry followed the man, he absently wondered if he could design a similar ward...they sounded extremely useful. Unlike Borgin who hid his door, this man simply opened an oak door in the back and walked in with Harry in tow. As Harry passed the door-frame he felt the wards slide over his body as they came into effect, leaving him with a slight tingle down his spine. Turning around, Harry did his best not to gape at the sight that greeted him; while there were not many species in here, those that the man did have were _exceedingly _rare. In the corner wrapped in warm cloth were the unmistakable shapes of ten dragon eggs, while next to them in a cage was a blue phoenix...a Venislew if Harry remembered correctly. Across the room from those, a small griffon peeked out at him from the bars of its very large cage. However while all these creatures where very rare, what peaked Harry's and Nagini's interests were the sounds of hissing coming from the furthest corner.

As Harry walked over there, both of them started to pick up snippets of conversation from what was now undoubtedly parseltongue.

_~I'm hungry! When will that-~_

_~-if that damnable bird squawks one more time I'll-~_

_~-ust you all be so loud? I'm trying to sleep here!~_

Both Harry and Nagini were quite amused at the bickering, but as they moved closer and the snakes began to sense their presence, the conversations abruptly shifted.

_~All you do is sleep! Why don't you help think of a way ou-wait! Everyone quiet! I smell the scent of a Queen in here!~_

_~A queen? You've finally lost it haven't you? You know as well as I that there are no more on this...hold on...Slytherin's beard, you're right! And...now that can't be right, I'm smelling an Avatar's scent now!~_

_~...No, you're not imagining things, I can smell it too! What's going on here, a Queen and an Avatar here of all places?~_

_~Quiet! They're approaching, we'll be able to see them any-there! There's the Avatar! The scent is unmistakable! Avatar! Avatar over here!~_

Harry quickly approached the now very loud snakes, all to aware that the shop-owner's attention was now on him and the snakes as he stood by the door. Lowering his voice so that the owner would not hear them, Harry spoke up.

~_Yes, yes, I am the Avatar, now please quiet down! If you did not notice already, your excited exclamations have drawn the attention of the shop-owner. The last thing we need is for him to find out what I am!~_

The snakes in the large aquarium he now stood over all had the decency too look away sheepishly for a moment as the quieted down, while Harry observed them. Two appeared to be of the same species, possibly from the same clutch. Both were a little over five feet long, and both were a mixture of red, yellow and black stripes. Harry didn't even need to ask to know that they were both King Snakes, one of the most poisonous snakes known. While the King Snakes were certainly impressive, the last two did not disappoint. The next one was yellow, black and brown, which was patterned in splotches all across its body. Harry recognized this one from the zoo when he was dragged along with the Dursleys so long ago; a Ball Python. This one was about seven feet long, and was now appraising him as well. The last was the most beautiful in Harry's opinion, mainly due to the fact that it was a solid deep sapphire blue. It was the smallest of the bunch, maybe just barely past five feet, but it was definitely the most noticeable. He glanced at the side of the aquarium and was glad to see a picture of each respective species, and saw that the blue one was aptly named an Indigo snake. Done with his observations, Harry spoke up once more.

_~Thank you for quieting down. Now you can ask your questions. But before you do, what are your names?~_

The Ball Python seemed to be the apparent leader of the bunch, as it slithered right up to the edge of the enclosure and responded to Harry with respect and reverence in his voice; a new thing for Harry.

_~My name is Aritus, esteemed Avatar. The twins behind me are named Iocus and Callidus, and the blue one is named Saffir. Might we know your name, esteemed Avatar?~_ At this point all four snakes were giving him their undivided attention. Harry was somewhat unnerved by the almost worshipful tones they were speaking to him with, but composed himself as he replied.

_~My name is Harry, and this,~_ Here Nagini's large head came out from under his cloak, ushering shocked hisses from the others. _~Is my familiar and friend, Nagini. Now then, I know you have many questions to ask but this is not the time nor the place, so I will ask you all instead one thing; would you like to come with me and be free from this place?~_

Although shocked at Harry's generosity, all four wasted no time in expressing that they indeed wanted just that. Nodding his head, Harry turned around and addressed the shop-owner who was looking at the whole thing with curious eyes.

"Do you have any mice which I could purchase?"

The man merely raised one eyebrow and pointed to the left, where a few large cages were literally teeming with dozens of the rodents. Nodding, Harry grabbed a cage and walked back over to the snakes as he spoke once more.

"Alright, charge me for this cage of mice and these four snakes, and that will be all." Not even bothering to look at the man, Harry simply extended his arms out into the cage while the owner shouted for him to stop. He studiously ignored the man as he shrank each snake a few feet before they all slithered up his arms and under his cloak, where they rested curled up along both of his arms. Turning to the now gaping giant, Harry simply looked at the number on the register and dumped out the correct amount before the man before he bid him a good day and exited the shop. Once he was sure the coast was clear, Harry slipped into a small side alley and spoke up in a quiet voice.

"Dobby, please come here."

Only a few seconds after, a small 'pop' was heard and the familiar form of Dobby was now hopping in front of Harry. After calming the diminutive elf, Harry spoke up to Dobby once more, looking forward to the next part of his adventure.

"Dobby, please take me to Potter Manor...its time I started this little revolution."

**Ending Notes: **And there's chapter 4! The next few chapters will most likely consist of his training and preparing for what will eventually become another faction in the war. It will most likely be a few weeks until next update, mainly because I alternate between my two stories as I update. If you like it, review, and if you don't review and give a valid reason...well if you want, though I don't see the point in just saying you don't like something with no reason, it just makes me chuckle. Regardless, reviews make this author very happy and will help him crank this stuff out faster, but for now; onto review answers!

**Popdude125: Nope, the Basilisk from the chamber had no relation to Nagini.**

**Sage Lightning: Don't worry, Dumbledore will be getting his soon enough. :D**

**Chishio Ame: Unless I have a drastic change in my plot, I fully plan on the twins being on Harry's side, so don't worry.**

**Vandenbz: Hello again, and thanks for your continued support! As to the question about the Merlin vault...funny enough, I really don't have anything planned for it. To be honest, I just mentioned it to set the mood on just how ancient the Peverell vault really is. As to Harry's love interest, all will be revealed in time, the same with his animagus form.**

**Slytherin66: No, Nagini isn't mad that Harry killed the Basilisk, as she had seen his memories and knew the reasons why. As for making one, I really find that to be taking the easy way out...there will be Basilisks, but they will be a bit later.**

**Dreamweaver: Well, I gave some insight on Dumbledore in this chapter, I plan on giving ol' Voldy a bit of the limelight next chapter.**

**Ladysavay: Sorry if I almost scared you off there, but as I stated before I don't write anything like smut. My stories that have romance in them will have just that; romance. The most you will ever see is "heavy petting", and that is really only in my other story; this one will not even have that. Romance will merely be one aspect of the whole on this story, it won't be its primary focus.**

**Jnottle: Yes, the Hallows will indeed play a role in this story; after all, it would be very odd to have Harry be the heir of Peverell and not bring in the Hallows.**


	5. The Years of Change

**Alright, next chapter here for "Awakening of the Serpents' Avatar. If you haven't already noticed, its going to be quite a long chapter (yes, yes I know, horrible isn't it!). The reason for this is that quite a bit of material will be going into this chapter, and I fully plan on it covering the events leading up to his training and then a considerable portion of the training itself, if not the entire thing in one go. This is a large part of why it took me this long to update; that combined with college and work. On another note, I have decided to put the review answers to the prior chapter at the beginning; it simply makes the most sense. And that reminds me: I must say I am impressed! It is apparent that I have some very avid readers that enjoy my story, due to the considerable amount of excellent questions and points in last chapter's reviews. I see now that I was unclear on some points and simply forgot to mention others, so I shall correct these inadequacies on my part in the upcoming review answers.**

**Bloody Brandy: Ah, but that would ruin the suspense if I told you such! :)**

**ladysavay: Good questions! First off, I apologize for I failed to mention this last chapter, but he isn't done with his business in Gringotts. Simply put, Harry was tired from everything he did that day and just wanted to call it a day. He will visit Gringotts briefly in this chapter. The transactions have ceased immediately, and the money will soon be returned to its rightful owner. What Harry was referring to was the legal action Ragnok was going to take against those who wronged him; he has his own plans for that, but they aren't to be implemented yet. As for the will reading of Sirius Black...its not dire to the plot, so I'll give. THOSE WHO DON'T WANT A MINOR SPOILER STOP HERE. Harry will be informed of the will reading a week before it is due, which will be very close to the end of the summer. Had he stayed at his relatives, he would have never received such...but now that he is obviously taking control of his life, the situation has been resolved. SPOILER OVER. Lastly, yes he's still underage, but he's heading to an unplottable location protected by ancient wards; Dumbles isn't getting in easy. As for the trace, since he was going back to Gringotts the next day but wanted to ensure he could protect himself if needed right then, he had the trace removed by Borgin; honestly he wasn't planning it, he simply thought it was a good idea at the time. Very good questions once more, glad you've been paying attention to it! :)**

**Silverfawkes: Hmm, indeed I did mean a Coral Snake, sorry for the confusion. I honestly get the two mixed up, what with their color schemes so similar.**

**Bleedndreamz: I know you didn't really have any questions, but I simply write this to reassure. Aye, I do realize how many times such a thing has happened, and I apologize for such. However, some things must be stated to avoid confusion in later chapters, no matter how droll they may be. I realize this and have tried to make the scenes at least somewhat different; the vault was one attempt. However, other than a relatively brief part of this chapter, what takes place has been seldomly done and what I'm planning on no one has attempted before; or so I believe...correct me if I'm wrong when the time comes. And no, he will not shop for chapter upon chapter; his wandering around shops is nearly all over. As for interaction from friends at school, he most certainly will, but not until the summer is over and he finds himself back at school. But he will be interacting with far more than just school friends in due time. I will try my very best to make sure I do not take the 'common route' that other stories have; I try to be unique.**

**ArchDemon Lord Of Death: You really want to know the pairing so soon? Eh, well its your enjoyment. If you truly want to spoil a bit of the story for yourself, sent me a private message requesting this once more, and I will give you your answer...though it is a strong possibility the pairing will soon become apparent ;P**

**Rebekahalana: Lol yes, you're the second person to point this out; very astute! And although it IS a magical snake, I did indeed mean a Coral Snake; I apologize.**

**Ninja bat master: Sorry my friend, the pairings are already set in stone before I even write the first chapter of my stories...though I do admit it is quite amusing watching everyone dance around in anticipation of the pairing. Do not worry, the pairings for this story will become apparent with time.**

**NaruTayu FTW: ….Though I do appreciate the enthusiasm you show, I do ask that you respect my story and the path I have chosen for it. I do encourage the occasional suggestion so long as it has merit; such can be shown in "A Fox Among Tamers". However, the suggestion that I indulged upon in that story was minor and in no way affected the plot of the story; this is why I accepted it. While your suggestions do indeed have merit, the sheer amount of them could make a story by itself. I already have the plot down in my mind and it will be revealed as the story continues, so I ask that please, do not attempt to encroach upon my plot with one of your own...if you are so adamant about this plot idea of yours, why not write a story focusing on your idea yourself?**

**Dark Dragen: I'm sorry I haven't sent you a private message with the pairing yet, I'm sending you the pairing now, since you asked for me to tell you personally.**

**Lighting-Squall: Yes, do not worry there will be some bashing...but it won't be overdone to an extreme. Using bashing too much simply makes the enemies in question loose any competence in the eyes of the reader. While this will be the goal for a given few, there will be those who will be quite the formidable enemy. They will be bashed, but it will be mild.**

**Jest795: Yes, Harry is going to be delving into some very...unique things while he trains. I'm not sure if they will be classified as rituals...but really, the familiar bond was a ritual so technically he already has.**

**Ymere: Now that I can answer on here, its vague enough that I feel it won't impact the story any. Yes, rest assured the pairing will be straight in this story, and any pairings between other characters. I don't mean to offend any homosexuals out there, I just simply do not enjoy writing homosexual pairings, nor do I even know where to begin when it comes to such pairings.**

**1Aszrael1: I'm glad you enjoy it! But you are mistaken on one account: I do not give "A Fox Among Tamers" preference to this; I update them equally.**

**Tryptophan36: I'll admit, his actions with Borgin were somewhat careless and there was the chance of betrayal, but a few things must be taken into account. First, Harry has been a very naïve kid his entire wizarding life, and just recently 'woke up' so to speak due to Sirius' death. As such, he's still quite new to the whole 'cloak and daggers', and will make the occasional mistake. Secondly he was relying on Borgin's greed combined with Nagini's presence as a buffer for any betrayal. Indeed, that very same greed could have backfired on him, but he was hoping that the massive amount of items he would purchase would keep Borgin's greed focused on the customer in front of him.**

**1Aszrael1: Why so rich...a few people have asked this, so I'll specify my reasoning. One of the richest men in the current world is Bill Gates, we all know this. We also know he made his massive fortune in less than a lifetime, and through mundane methods. Now consider Harry's lineage. His families are ancient, and very much immersed into magic. This being said, they had not only generations in which they could gather their fortunes, but magical methods by which to obtain them. When the families first began, the mundane way of getting precious ore like gold was a massive undertaking and mines were a rarity...most of the gold was found littered on the surface at that time. On the other hand, wizards have had access to magical methods of obtaining such ores with far less hassle...house elves anyone? My theory is that the wizards and other magical creatures (such as goblins) had already taken the vast majority of precious metals such as gold and silver before the muggles started to really mine for it. When this occurred the magical peoples obviously had to be far more careful in their mining (ore deposits suddenly vanishing would cause quite a stir I'd imagine) but by that time they had amassed a great quantity already.**

**Katzenmond: Ahh, I was wondering when someone would ask that question; good eye! The reason he used the pouch with Borgin was simple; he hates the man's guts for his greed. And how better fitting than to use such greed to distract the man as he makes a massive pile of galleons from his very large purchase, only for said man to realize after the fact that he needs to COUNT that massive pile to make sure he wasn't jipped; his greed would allow him nothing less. Now for the petshop, while the snakes were slightly expensive, the amount was nowhere near as exorbitant as in Bourgin and Burke's, and thus he simply used his pouch. His reason for this is simple; him flashing a card that was only given to very affluent account holders in Gringotts is basically telling everyone within sight to hold him for ransom if they can't access his money themselves. While this may be true with his pouch as well, it is moreso with his card; it shows he is planning on spending a lot of funds quickly, thus gaining attention. He will use the card, but only when he is able to defend himself well, just in case.**

**Eac: A good point, one which I myself am unsure of. However it only glows a very faint blue, certainly not visible in lit areas. If you need confirmation, watch the Triwizard Tournament during the third trial in the maze. When Krum attacks Harry, you'll notice his eyes have an odd blue sheen to them; that's the imperious. You're only able to notice it because its night, and they're in a dark maze. Good point though!**

**Nargus: No, I'm certainly not forgetting that. However I have stated before that Nagini's past is very much OOC, and does not in any way coincide with canon.**

**Nargus: Lol hello again! A very perceptive one aren't you? I'm not sure whether or not Ignotus was ever a Hogwarts professor, but I do know he lived far longer than he should have, due to him using the Invisibility Cloak to hide from death. Eventually he grew tired of life and revealed himself to death and went willingly. And while he wasn't the first in the line, he was undoubtedly the most important and the only survivor out of his other two siblings.**

…**.Wow, that was a huge review answer session, but you all had very valid questions and I thank you for your attention to detail, it helps me become a better writer. Now then, I don't want to take any more time away from the story itself, so without further ado let chapter 5 begin!**

"Blah blah blah" – Normal speaking.

_'Blah blah blah' – _Thoughts.

'Blah blah blah' – Thought-speak.

_~Blah blah blah_~ – Parseltongue (or layman's terms, snake-speak)

"_blah blah blah" - _Spells.

-(location)- : this tells the reader where the scene changed to.

~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~

^Obviously denotes a scene change^

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to the Harry Potter book series. However, I DO own this fanfiction story.**

**The Years of Change**

With the dizzying feeling of being thrust back into a normal state of being, Harry and his passengers suddenly found themselves deposited onto a forest floor covered in pine needles and shrubs. Five muffled hisses and one muttered swear was the only indication of their displeasure, and soon they were all observing their surroundings, Nagini from aside his own head and the other snakes from his cloak sleeves.

To Harry he immediately noticed a few distinct differences in the area that suggested he was not in England any longer. First off, unlike the now mild weather in England due to summer, here it was bitingly cold; he was quite surprised to find there wasn't snow on the ground. Secondly he was feeling a little out of breath just by standing and his ears hurt a little; signs that he was at a decently high elevation, one that was beyond the capabilities of England's mountains...Scotland's? Maybe. But that wouldn't explain the extreme cold as it was summer there as well.

As if summoned by his thoughts, an icy gale swept through the forest floor, instantly causing all the snakes to withdraw into his cloak once more and he himself bundled up further and cast a heating charm on himself. As the charm took effect and his cloak was suddenly warm, Harry was now positive it wasn't a waste of money to get the tracking spell removed a day early, and judging by the contented hisses from underneath his cloak his passengers agreed.

Looking back at a bouncing Dobby, Harry couldn't understand how the skinny little house elf wasn't frozen on the spot, but simply dismissed it as elven magic as he followed his little friend. As they were walking Harry and a now warm Nagini observed their surroundings and were beginning to wonder where exactly his Manor was located. The weather practically screamed winter and more than once Harry had nearly fell when his foot slipped on some hidden ice, giving even further credence to the winter theory, but that would mean that wherever they were was somewhere in the southern hemisphere; far, faaar away from England.

Snapped out of their mutual musings by an overly-exited elf, both noticed they were approaching the tree line but couldn't see outside of it clearly due to the stark contrast between the dark forest they were in and the blinding sun in the clearing. With yet another exited hop Dobby was first to cross the line, with Harry following closely behind with his eyes squinted and covered by his hands, Nagini mimicking his actions by bringing her head under his hand's shadow. When both he and Nagini had adjusted to the glare of the sun, Harry removed his hand and both stared in open shock at the site that greeted them.

While Harry had seen bigger; namely Hogwarts, he was not expecting to come across a literal castle in the clearing, and by the way Dobby was bounding towards the place, _his _castle. It was situated in the middle of the clearing and had what you would have expected from a castle: a rectangular wall surrounded the 'keep' of said castle, with fortified towers at each of the four corners and one halfway in-between each. The entrance consisted of one large iron gate that was capable of being lifted, and a few feet behind that sat two large oak doors. Harry finally gained enough composure to walk, but still had a wide-eyed expression as he addressed Nagini.

~_I-I knew that the manor would have been large due to the Potter line's age, but I would have never guessed that the manor was actually a castle! Granted, it isn't the largest one I have seen, but when you take into account that this was just for the Potter family, this is utterly massive!~_

When Nagini spoke, it was apparent she held just as much wonder as he did about their new dwelling. _~I must agree with you on this Harry, I too did not expect a castle of all things to be in your inheritance, however let us wonder later and pay attention now.~_

Nodding at her wise words, Harry turned his attention outwards as they approached the formidable structure. Just as they were nearing the iron gate, Harry and all his occupants felt an invisible wall pass over them and with a creak and groan both the iron gate and wooden doors behind it opened slowly as it sensed the presence of its master approaching it's walls. Dobby turned around and with a smile on his face bowed and spoke.

"May I's be presenting to Master Harry; Potter Manor." And just as quickly he resumed his jovial bounce towards the now visible manor that rested inside the fortified walls.

Passing through the gateway, Harry and the rest of his passengers viewed the manor itself; the other snakes having been drawn from his cloak by their curiosity. It was very large in size, but like the rest of the castle it was built out of stone; it was apparent that its main priority was for defense. No matter how backwards some of the wizarding culture is now, it seemed that the wizards of old recognized that while magical protection was all well and good, when that failed good ol' stone was a very nice fallback. Fortunately it had a considerable courtyard separating the walls from the manor, else it would look very bunched together. At first he had wondered why his family didn't simply hide out here while they hid, but looking at the manor now he could see why. With its intimidating structure and only the occasional small window, it wouldn't have made the best environment to raise a child in alone. He himself was not too terribly keen on living here if its outer appearance was any clue, but it was certainly better than going back to the Dursleys or, Merlin forbid, somewhere that Dumbledore would cart him off to.

When they finally entered the manor itself, Harry was a little relieved that the interior was not nearly as spartan as the exterior, but he still would have preferred something else. It was what one would expect of an entrance-hall in such a stalwart location. Lining the side walls every ten feet or so were suits or armor bearing the potter crest on their shields, while magically-lit torches adorned the wall between aforementioned suits. Behind the suits on the wall were tapestries, most of which bore either the Potter crest or the Gryffindor one, each one having the color scheme of red and gold.

Harry mentally winced at the color scheme that adorned the walls and armor; while he could tolerate the colors in moderate amounts, the past five years of living in the audaciously bright-colored Gryffindor Tower had made him a bit weary of the colors. Ironically enough, his favorite color had always been a deep green; not the exact color of his eyes like most would assume, but more of a deep forest green. Unlike the red and gold which was bright and invasive, green was the color of life and was naturally soothing to him. _'Gah, how did I manage not to go insane looking at these painfully bright colors for five years? Give me a deep shade of green and perhaps a dark-silver as a sub-color...basically a toned-down Slytherin color scheme, and I'd be happy.'_

'I agree Harry, already I tire of these painfully bright colors. Are we going to live here for very long? If so, please at least change some of these tapestries a little bit.'

Harry gave a slight jump at the sudden voice of Nagini in his head; it appeared she was listening to his internal ramblings. 'Listening to my private thoughts were you? Don't worry, as long as it is you and no-one else, I don't mind. Unfortunately I'm a bit reluctant to modify these tapestries any...to do so would feel like I'm insulting my family, no matter how painful these colors may be. However, while I do plan on us staying here until I can find another alternative, I will be changing the color scheme of our personal rooms if they too are colored so brightly.'

Nagini simply squeezed Harry gently in response while sending feelings of reluctant acceptance. Turning back to his escort, Harry saw that Dobby seemed ready to give them the whole tour; something he really wasn't up to at this moment. He simply wanted to set up a room for him and those he was towing along and then get some sleep; it was still early but all the excitement of the day had worn Nagini and himself out. Before his excitable friend was able to drag them off to Merlin-knows where, Harry quickly spoke up.

"Dobby, I know you want to show us around and all, but Nagini and I are quite tired. Do you know were the sleeping quarters are?"

Dobby's massive ears drooped for hardly a moment in disappointment before they shot back up again as he spoke. "Yes, Dobby be knowing where Master Harry and Nagini can rest. Please be following Dobby."

As they continued past the entrance hall and into one of the adjacent halls, Harry mentally rolled his eyes as the hall had the red and gold color scheme yet again. Getting tired of having to look at the bright colors, Harry instead focused his gaze on the stone floor just behind Dobby's form. It was because he did this that he found himself quite surprised when a voice off to the size suddenly spoke up and seemed to address him.

"Oh, what have we here? It would seem that we have a new heir...you there, lad! Yes you, come closer so I can see you better."

Harry was wary, but Nagini's senses and Nagini herself both informed him that there was no scent coming from the dimly lit corridor. To alleviate some of his growing paranoia, Harry silently took out his wand and with a whispered _"Lumos"_ the tip of his wand became a beacon of white light that speared through the gloom with ease. What met his eyes surprised him; a portrait was at the end of the short corridor, and the wizened face of an elderly man was peering out at him with unrestrained curiosity. Even more shocking was that the man's face, though certainly older, had features that he himself bore. Assuming that this was one of his ancestors, Harry walked over to the portrait until he was only a few feet from it and waited as it inspected him.

"Hmm...you're a bit of a runt, aren't ye boy? That's alright, I know a few good potions that will have you looking and feeling better in no time. Tell me, what's your name?"

Although Harry bristled at the runt barb, he couldn't really blame the man; he was abnormally short for his age and nearly all skin and bones due to his oh so wonderful treatment in the loving care of the Dursleys. However, the mentioning of potions that could remedy his situation helped derail his annoyance...that, and the fact that Nagini found the barb amusing, if her shaking body was any indication.

"Harry. My name is Harry Potter, sir. May I ask who I am speaking to?"

The elderly man's eyebrows rose at his last words before he replied. "Ah! To ask for one's name without giving my own first, my age is finally catching up to me it seems! Anyways, my name is Richard Potter, and now that we've made introductions, what was your father's name by chance? One of the wards around this castle put us portraits and everything else non-living into a sort of stasis when the castle is unoccupied. Essentially, decades could pass and to us it would only be a second."

Harry mentally noted to ask more about that particular ward later; he had an idea for it, he just wasn't sure if it was feasible. Curious as to how old this portrait really was, he answered. "My father was James Potter."

Apparently the man knew his father, for he let out a bark of laughter before he spoke up once more. "James? That little troublemaker James is your father? Hmm...yes, yes I can certainly see the resemblance between you two...so I guess he finally got together with that fiery redhead...Lily was it? You have her eyes, there's no mistaking that. In case you're wondering, I'm James' grandfather. Its good to know he finally started a family of his own; he may have been a brat, but he was a lovable one. Tell me, where is he? I didn't see nor sense another Potter enter the manor."

Harry's entire demeanor shifted as Richard finished his question, unknowingly reminding Harry of the fact that he never had the chance to know his parents, and that the only one he could have called family died trying to protect him. While the four snakes he brought with him sensed his sudden depression and wisely chose to stay out of the matter, Nagini had other plans.

To say Richard was surprised when Harry's entire demeanor changed from curious to depressed would be an understatement. To say he was startled when Harry suddenly yelped and looked at his shoulder would have once more been an understatement. To say he was absolutely stunned when the head of a large serpent appeared from where Harry was looking and proceeded to hiss at the boy, only for _Harry_ to _hiss_ right back at it would be like saying the sun was slightly warm. Still, Richard simply chose to let this spectacle play out; his questions could come after.

Meanwhile, Harry was quite surprised when he was brought out of his depressed thoughts by a sudden pain near his collarbone. Looking down under his cloak, Harry came face-to-snout with an angry looking Nagini. Foregoing any attempt at keeping herself hidden, Nagini reared her head out of his cloak and poised it to where her head was directly in front of his. Once this was done, she spoke up to him in parseltongue.

~_That's enough! I can understand your sorrow for the family you never had, and I can understand your grief for the Godfather you lost; I have lived that memory as well if you have forgotten so soon. However, what I will NOT tolerate is your continuing thoughts of guilt over Sirius' death! Yes, you may __have fell right into Voldemort's trap and yes, Sirius' death may have been avoided otherwise, but you are forgetting a few very vital facts! First, you and I both know that Snape's 'tutoring' in Occlumency __did absolutely no good for your mental state, thus making it easier for Voldemort to get inside your head. Secondly, aren't you forgetting the fact that you informed Dumbledore about getting these strange visions, yet he did nothing to prevent them? It was he that made you go through that 'tutelage', Snape that enthusiastically gave you said 'tutoring', Voldemort that laid the trap, and Bellatrix that struck down your Godfather; you were simply the misguided boy that sprung the trap! I did not choose the weak fool I see before me now as the Avatar for my species; pull yourself together, see the true __perpetrators of the crime, and stop blaming yourself for something you never did or so help me I'll give you a reason to be depressed!_~ Her tirade done, Nagini simply pulled back an inch, but still held her stern gaze on a now wide-eyed Harry.

Speaking of which, said boy was still reeling from the sheer fervor that Nagini spoke with. Had anyone else spoken the same to him he most likely would have simply nodded and moved on...but she didn't simply berate him. What made him reel was the passion by which she spoke; he could hear it in her sibilant hisses and feel the emotions through their bond. However, the true shocker for him was the feeling she was unknowingly broadcasting to him while she spoke; the waves of conviction and certainty that she buffeted him with told him one thing, and that was that she believed every word she spoke. Considering that she had viewed these memories herself as if she was in Harry's body and still believed him free of blame forced him to look back on said memories and he realized...she was right. He...he wasn't to blame for Sirius' death!

To the onlookers and one portrait in particular, it appeared as if some great physical burden was removed from Harry; his back straightened from the slight hunch he was sporting, his shoulders squared and his eyes seemed to reignite with a new-found purpose.

Harry felt reborn; he did not realize just how heavy the burden of guilt he carried was until it was lifted from him, and he felt like a new man. Turning his attention to the one who relieved him of his burden, Harry gave to Nagini a rarity; he smiled. Not his 'I'm humoring you' or 'I'm smiling so you'll think everything is ok' smiles; this was a genuine, 'I'm happy, and I'm focusing it on you' smile. While Nagini was not expecting the smile (really all she was hoping for was a resolute nod), she nevertheless was glad to receive it. However she was more than a little surprised when he went even further and rested his forehead against her own so that he was looking right in her eyes, and whispered so only she could hear, ~_Thank you, Nagini._~ It might have been short and in-eloquent, but the gratitude and sincerity behind his voice said things that words alone could not. Still too surprised to give any verbal response, Nagini simply butted her head against his own and returned to the cloak.

Richard watched all of this with a wide-eyed expression from his portrait. He had just seen a snake of considerable size not only come out of Harry's cloak, but proceed to hiss at him for quite a while. Even better, it seemed that Harry _understood_ the snake, and by the expression he wore at the time it would seem the snake was giving him quite the verbal thrashing-an amusing thought. However, judging by his actions after the snake was done berating him, whatever it said worked, and worked well. While this was all very interesting, it was simply something he had never seen in all his years. The Potters had always been firmly entrenched into the Gryffindor mindset, yet here a Potter stood with a _snake _of all creatures wrapped around him like a massive sash! If he had any lingering doubts about waking up, they were all gone now; this boy made things interesting!

"Hmmm...that was a most peculiar occurrence, Harry. Judging by the observation that you seemed to actually understand the snake, I take it you're a Parselmouth?" He almost missed it, but the very minute flinch Harry made told him his answer, though he was impressed by his ability to keep his expression neutral. "Ah, well that makes things_ very _interesting. A Parselmouth in the Potter family...I wouldn't have believed it if I myself did not just witness that interaction. No need to worry though, while a good number of your ancestors would have been..._displeased_ by such a thing, there are those among us who are open-minded and simply find such things interesting. Considering that I am one such person, I would request something of you if you would be willing to grant it. Take my portrait and put it somewhere where you'll be; this dingy old corridor is getting quite tiresome. Of course, I will assist you should you need it and offer you words of wisdom that my age has let me acquire, and to top it off I have a decent arsenal of spells I would be willing to teach, should you be interested."

While Harry wasn't exactly happy with the knowledge that some of his ancestors were a bit shallow-minded, he _was_ happy that he had apparently found a mentor of sorts. He certainly wouldn't be trusting the portrait with important secrets and the like; that came with time. However he could at least count on the man not double-crossing him; after all, portraits are merely the impression of the deceased person's memories upon a canvas, where they live a pseudo-life. They don't have ambition; they simply have the more simple emotions from life, such as happiness, sorrow, anger, curiosity, and most importantly, boredom.

'Nagini? What do you think? Its not like the man will betray us, and we may be able to glean some knowledge from him that the books we have may not have otherwise given us.'

It took a few seconds for Nagini to respond, mainly so she could think upon her response, but partially because of his actions a minute ago. Pushing those thoughts to the side for the moment, Nagini gave her response. 'I agree with you Harry. However while the man may not have a reason to betray us, I would still suggest that we keep some things from him, such as your new-found status as our Avatar and your relation with the Peverell line. I have a feeling that keeping that lineage a secret for as long as possible will benefit us in the long run, and keep the spotlight away in the short run.'

Harry nodded at her advice, having already planned on doing the very same thing. Turning towards Richard, he simply nodded before he shrunk the portrait and placed it in one of his pockets. After that, Dobby quickly resumed leading them to their quarters and soon Harry, Nagini and all of their new companions were looking at a room of considerable size with quite the comfortable looking bed. The only problem? Harry repressed a flinch as the colors of red and gold assaulted his vision once more, and having had quite enough of that color for the day, took out his wand and started a mass re-coloring. Not even five minutes had passed, yet the tapestries that hung from the walls, the large rug situated in the center of the room, and the bed itself were now all a deep forest-green with silver trimmings, giving the room a much calmer feel to it.

Sighing in relief, Harry quickly placed Richard's portrait in an adjacent room of considerable size that he planned on using for studying/training, then put his trunk next to the large bed and enlarged it. After this, Harry approached the bed and extended his arms while his new friends slithered out onto the large mattress, shivering a little at the cool bed. Not long after, Harry himself took off his robe leaving him only in his oversized hand-me-downs. Mentally sighing, he added that to his list of things to shop for tomorrow when he went back to briefly visit Gringotts to claim his adult status. Nagini had already unwound herself from him and was on the bed as well, her large girth taking up the end which she currently occupied.

Settling himself down, he didn't even need to say anything before Nagini draped her body over him for body heat. However when Harry saw the other four take that as an invitation to climb aboard, he decided to draw the line; one very large snake on him was enough, thank you.

~_Hold on there you guys. I realize this castle is quite chilly, but I cannot have five snakes of considerable size laying all over me. I will allow you to rest against me for heat, but please keep your bodies off of mine._~

Aritus, Iocus, Callidus and Saffir didn't even protest; they simply wanted body heat, and that would be more than adequate. They waited until Harry had finished getting himself into a comfortable position, then all four literally outlined him with snake. At this Harry mentally heaved a sigh. 'Well, hope I don't get uncomfortable during the night, because I'm certainly not going anywhere, hmm?'

Nagini simply laughed in his head at his predicament, knowing that with her weight on top of him and their bodies bordering his, that her bonded was going nowhere until they were good and ready. Still quite amused, Nagini rested her head on his left arm and looked out the solitary small window the room provided and saw that it was snowing.

_'Now that I'm inside and warm, snow isn't so bad. As a matter of fact, it's quite soothing to look at, so long as I'm not in it.'_

Harry, feeling bored as he waited for sleep to come, looked at Nagini's head when he felt the emotion of wonder coming from her. Looking in the direction she was, he noticed she was looking at it snowing outside...snowing? _'Looks like I was right, we are most certainly not in England...probably nowhere near it either. I mean, snow in June? Although I must admit it is quite nice to look at, regardless of how strange.' _Looking back at Nagini, he had to hold back a chuckle at how soothed she looked by it, considering her cold-blooded nature.

~_Enjoying the view, Nagini? I wouldn't have thought you would enjoy the snow, though I suppose as long as you're not in it you have no reason to despise it. Good idea though, I think I'll join you in your gazing._~

And Harry did just that, slowly becoming mesmerized by it's subtle dance through the sky as it journeyed to the cold earth below. Not long after Harry felt two weights upon his right side, and looking over found it to be the twins Iocus and Callidus, resting their heads on his body so they too could look at the snow. Turning his attention to the other two on the window side, he observed that they too were looking out the window contently. Chuckling to himself at the scene they must have made and deciding to tolerate the twins' intrusion for now, Harry laid his head back down and resumed his gazing as well. All too soon, Harry found himself falling under the alluring call of Hypnos, and soon he along with Nagini and their new companions were sound asleep, oblivious to the world around them.

~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~

-(Unknown Location)-

Sitting alone upon what appeared to be a throne, the pallid, pasty complexion of the man sitting upon it seemed unnatural, even for those whom stayed indoors their entire lives. So much so that the veins upon the man's bald head were alarmingly visible, their deep blue violently contrasting the pasty white skin they lied underneath. If one were to look at his face, they would be not only shocked by his ruby-red eyes, but by the general look of it. Where a nose would have been, a simple rise in the face was all that resided there, and where nostrils would reside, odd slits would be seen instead. If you were to ask (and live long enough to hear), the man would claim that it made him resemble the species by which his house idolized. However if you were to ask someone who had never seen him before, they would simply assume that he had a horrific accident involving dangerously high speeds, a sturdy wall, and his face.

This man's true name was Tom Marvollo Riddle, but to most he was simply known as "Voldemort". And right now, Voldemort was not a happy person. Tapping his long, spindly fingers against his armrest, Voldemort glared at the twin-doors to his throne-room as if doing such would immediately summon the one he had been waiting for. For the past five hours he had been waiting, and he was becoming livid.

_'Where is that blasted snake! The mission might have been of utmost importance, but the mission itself was almost insultingly simple. Enter the household, find the Potter brat, bite said Potter brat, leave. That's it. Everything was timed perfectly; that idiot of a wizard Fletcher was 'guarding' at the time, and everyone should have been asleep! I swear, if that damned snake wasn't half-basilisk I would have made her into boots ages ago!'_

He was mere moments away from humoring himself by torturing one of the muggles his followers had captured when he heard a rapping upon the large doors to his throne room. While he would have usually been livid by the unexpected visitor, he was both bored and hoping it had to do with the damned snake, and so he decided he wouldn't torture the visitor. Yet.

"Come in."

One of the large oak doors creaked open, and from it a black robed figure shuffled in with its waist bowed and eyes lowered. Moving slowly to Voldemort, the figure bent down and kissed the hem of his robe, as was protocol, then moved back a respectable distance and knelt.

Voldemort knew who it was even through the mask the man wore due to a strand of hair that hung out of the cloak; there was only one person he knew that had hair _that_ greasy.

"Rise, Severus. What is it, and you had better have a good reason for this intrusion...or not, I would be more than delighted to reintroduce you to a particular favorite spell of mine should your reason be unsatisfactory."

Severus barely withheld his shudder, knowing all to well just which spell his lord would reacquaint him with. Wanting to avoid said experience, Severus hoped what he had to say would appease his lord.

"Of course my lord, I bring news from the old fool and his followers...it seems that Harry Potter has gone missing, and Dumbledore has no idea as to his location." Seeing that his master's attention was now fully focused on him, Severus quickly continued his report. "We know he is not dead because the charms Dumbledore had placed on him for such an occasion are still active. However, some of the more intrusive charms such as the tracking charm have been removed by some unknown means. Dumbledore immediately sent all of his order on a retrieval mission, yet we quickly found out that tracking charms and "point-me" charms had no effect; it is as if the boy has simply disappeared, my lord."

Voldemort listened to his minion's words with rapt interest, not having expected such a turn of events. However, there were multiple scenarios that were now racing through his head. _'Disappeared yet not __dead? If that is the case then it's obvious that the snake has failed her mission, and as a result the damned boy has fled...but to where? I can immediately rule out anywhere near order members; from __what Severus told me it sounds as if the boy has lost faith in his bodyguards, which is good from one angle yet horrible from another! He no longer has protection should he run into my Death Eaters, yet at the same time I now have no idea where he is whereas before I at least knew his location! And if that old fool can't find him than I certainly won't have any better luck; senile he may be, but Dumbledore knows how to keep hold of his pawns...if the boy managed to slip from his sticky grasp, it appears there is more to Harry Potter than meets the eye. No matter, right now I can make no move to 'acquire' the boy, thus I must simply wait...and I so hate waiting.' _Voldemort ended his musings, looking up with a barely concealed smirk of malicious amusement at how Severus squirmed at his long silence...he simply loved the fear wafting off the man. But alas, he has things to do and little time to do them; with the order busy looking for their Golden Boy, he can use this opportunity to launch some more raids!

"Very well Severus, you have done well to tell me of this. As such, I have decided to withhold that little re-introduction...for now."

The man wasted no time, backing away in a low bow until he reached the doors where he quickly opened them and exited, only for a balding, cowering little man to slip through in his stead. Voldemort had to work hard to keep the sneer of disgust off his face at the sight of the pathetic man; evil and insane he may be, but that didn't mean he condoned cowardice, and this man was the epitome of it. His eyes gleamed maliciously as an idea came to mind...after all, why send for a prisoner when he already had someone right in front of him?

"Ahh...Peter Pettigrew, just the man I wanted to see. Come, I have a task for you."

Said man barely withheld a squeak, yet approached his lord as he was commanded. He was just going to give his daily report on the status of their prisoners, but the gleam in his lord's eye nearly made him hesitate. Nevertheless, Peter approached until he was ten feet away and kneeled.

"You see Peter, lately I have been quite bored waiting for a certain being to drop by, and as a result I am finding myself in need of entertainment. I was originally going to amuse myself with a few of the prisoners...until you so graciously dropped in without even knocking. So since you were obviously so eager to see me that you forgot protocol, I will now with just as much eagerness give you your task Peter..." Here he trailed off, his smirk now fully blooming on his face as he beheld the pathetic man's beady eyes bulge in terror. "...scream for me, dear Peter. _Crucio!_"

Every Deatheater within the manor shuddered as the all-too familiar scream ripped its way through the dingy corridors; they knew that scream all too well, for it was their own when put under the wand of their lord. They all outright flinched at the maniacal laughter that trailed just behind the scream; it would seem their lord was in a good mood today.

~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~

-(Potter Manor)-

The first thing Harry felt when waking up could be summed up in one word; warm. Not just warm though, he was downright toasty! Cracking open his eyes, he immediately found the answer to his unspoken question when he beheld the large onyx form of Nagini draped over him, completely eliminating any need for a blanket. Looking to his sides, he saw that the others had managed to press their own bodies up against his sometime during the night. _'Sneaky buggers...'_ Taking a deep breath, Harry looked at his familiar and his breath hitched when he saw her eyes; they were wide open and empty...she looked dead! However, before Harry could have a panic attack his brain started functioning past its zombie-esque like state and he calmed down as he remembered snakes don't have eyelids, simply transparent scales covering their eyes. Still, it was a bit unnerving to see his companion's eyes so lifeless.

Unknown to Harry, both his breath hitching and the sudden, brief feelings of terror and grief managed to rouse Nagini, who quickly looked around to assess the situation before looking back at Harry in confusion while he wore a sheepish expression on his face. When she inquired why he had the sudden panic attack, Harry told her of the incident with a bright red face. When he was finished Nagini would have blinked if she was able to, and as it finally settled in she gave a snake's version of a chuckle and bumped his forehead with her snout in a small form of affection, feeling a bit moved by his concern for her. However considering her size, the bump ended up sending Harry's head back down on his pillow with a huff and a chuckle of his own.

After laying there for a minute, Harry finally looked back up and noticed that the rest of his companions had awoken as well and were simply content to lay around and watch their little interaction with bemusement. Looking outside, Harry noticed that the sun was already high in the sky and was most likely near noon. Having already made a few plans for the day, he knew he couldn't afford to lounge around any longer, and so with a sigh he spoke up.

~_As much as I would enjoy just resting today, I have many things planned and little time to do them...for now. Would you four like to stay here or come with me and Nagini?_~

As he suspected, they wanted to go with him if only so that they would not be bored or cold. After Nagini had removed herself so he could get up, she once more wrapped around his torso while the other four coiled around his arms, after which he put on his cloak and moved out of his room, waving to Richard as he passed his portrait. Stepping out into the main hall of the castle Harry still didn't see the one he was looking for, so he simply settled on a more direct solution.

"Dobby, I have need of you."

Not even two seconds had passed before his enigmatic friend popped into the room. Smiling at the scene, Harry explained what he needed to do today, and how Dobby was to help.

"Alright Dobby, today I plan on visiting Gringotts once more to finalize my status as a legal adult. I'm not entirely sure if there's anything else I'm going to do while I'm there but before I head out I'd like to get something to eat."

Dobby simply bobbed his head happily, after which he lead Harry to a large dining hall. Most of the room itself was taken up by a large sturdy oak table that was lined with similarly sturdy chairs. Above the table a large iron chandelier hung with its candles adequately lighting up the hall itself. Once more the walls were lined with red and gold tapestries that gave the room a rather affluent feel. However Harry ignored most of this; both he and Nagini had already decided that this would not be their permanent residence, simply a temporary solution. For how long they did not know, but now was neither the time nor the place to ask such questions. With a semi-tired sigh, Harry set himself down in a random chair and waited for his meal to come; he had no doubts that Dobby had already stocked the kitchens and pantries with food. Sure enough, only ten minutes had passed before Dobby came popping back in with a breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, biscuits and pancakes with a glass of orange juice. Harry had no idea how the elf and his coworkers were able to whip something up like this within ten minutes but at that moment he really didn't care either. Will all the subtlety of a starving wolf Harry dug in, savoring every bite of the first decent meal he had in what felt like years.

He was halfway through his meal when the sound of fluttering wings echoed throughout the dining hall. Harry nearly kept eating until he remembered that this wasn't Hogwarts; owls shouldn't be coming in here. Snapping his head up, Harry was both relieved and joyed to see the familiar white plumage of Hedwig as she swooped down and landed on the shoulder opposite where Nagini's head laid, gaining some nervous hisses from the snakes on his arms from such close proximity to one of their natural predators. With a smile on his face Harry gently reached up and stroked the plumage on her chest, eliciting a soft hoot of appreciation from Hedwig while he spoke up.

"Hey there girl. Hope you made it here alright, have any trouble?" Getting a negative hoot as an answer, Harry grabbed some of his bacon and offered it to Hedwig, who accepted it with an hoot and an affectionate nibble on his ear lobe. Chuckling a little at the feeling, Harry happily ate the rest of his meal while making a mental note to give his companions some mice, should they want some. Once he was done, Harry thanked Dobby and proceeded back to his room to ask Richard a few questions before he left for Gringotts.

Arriving at the room adjacent to his own, Harry saw that Richard was awake and seemed to be waiting for him. While that was a bit odd and certainly creepy, he supposed he couldn't blame the man; he would be a bit...eager to talk to someone too if he had been cooped up in some dark corner for who knows how long. As he approached, Richard spoke up when he was close enough with news that would shock Harry.

"Ah, there you are, young heir. I hope you had a pleasant breakfast. Now then, before you go off to wherever you've got planned for the day I'd like to fill you in a little about Potter Manor and the surrounding lands. I'll understand if you need to get going right away, but if you can spare some time then it would be in your best interests to listen."

Harry thought for a moment before nodding to himself; while he did need to visit Gringotts it was not imminent. Besides, he was quite curious about just exactly where they were anyways and Richard was willing to give him a detailed description. His decision made, Harry nodded his head and pulled up a chair to sit down on while Nagini rearranged herself on his lap; the other snakes were quite content to stay on his arms for the moment.

Letting a pleased grin cross his weathered face, Richard began. "Excellent! Now I have no doubt you'll have questions during the explanation but please wait until I am done talking to ask them; this will not be an extremely lengthy conversation, just one that will ensure you are well informed about this area. I suppose first I should start with the manor grounds themselves. As you have most likely already guessed, Potter Manor is more of a castle than a manor; this is mostly due to the time in which it was built. The manor itself was built back in what muggles have dubbed the 'Medieval Era' of England and although we most certainly had powerful wizards back in that age that could create powerful wards, even those can fall. That being said, having a backup that consisted of massive stone walls, iron gates and imposing barbicans was a wise idea should things go poorly. Now as to the landmass Potter Manor is located on, we are on an island east of the one muggles call New Zealand."

Harry's eyes bugged out when Richard told him where they were, and through the link he felt Nagini's surprise as well; she shared his memories and that included education. _'New Zealand! No wonder its snowing here, we're on the southern hemisphere; its winter here! How the bloody hell did a wizard __from the Medieval Era find an island so far away!' _He was just about to ask that very thing then Nagini poked him in the stomach and his mouth closed with a click, remembering that Richard asked him to withhold his questions until the end.

Chuckling at Harry's face and his snake's actions, Richard resumed his speech. "I know what you were about to ask Harry, and I was getting to that. Now take heed, what I am telling you has been passed down from Potter to Potter; I was born far later from when this all occurred. Anyways, the ancestor who found this island was one whom truly loved to explore. Considering that we have had flying brooms for a very long time, we wizards were far more capable of exploring the world than the muggles of that time, and as such we found places far before the muggles ever did. As the story goes, your ancestor eventually stumbled across this island in his travels, and due to its stunning beauty and its location on top of the intersection of powerful magical ley lines he decided that it would make a fine candidate for a manor. That being said, he called one of his house elves, told them to remember the location and then apparated back to England, where he spent the next year gathering supplies and the workers needed to construct the manor. Once that was done, he had his house elves take the supplies and workers to the island under an oath of secrecy while he himself hired the skills of a group of skilled warders. He had them set up rune stones at strategic areas around the island that fed off the ley lines that once activated cast an island-wide disillusionment charm and notice-me-not charm, thus making it as if the island never existed, and that muggles would not accidentally find it by accident. Once the manor itself was complete he had the warders cast a modified Fidelius charm on the manner, one which only permitted those of Potter lineage and those they trusted to enter or even see it, for that matter. After that the Potter family has been living here for generations, although it would seem that your father chose not to live here...but considering how imposing it is I suppose I can see his point. That's basically the sum of what I needed to tell you, any questions?"

Harry thought for a moment, remembering the large forest he was in and the _mountain range_ he saw once they cleared the forest; most islands didn't have mountain ranges..._a _mountain, possibly but an entire range? Nope. As this revelation sunk into his head an idea wormed its way in, one that made him smile quite a bit.

Nagini saw the smile and felt his sense of smugness and wondered what was going through his head but decided not to ask; she would probably find out in a moment anyways. Sure enough, only a few more moments passed before Harry asked his first question.

"Richard, how big is this island? Its not too often you see mountain ranges on one."

Said portrait stroked his beard in thought for a moment, before clicking his fingers as he seemed to remember the information he sought. "Ah! I remember being told that this had been brought up a few times before, and although this is only an estimation I was told the island was about one-third the size of the one adjacent to it, New Zealand. Why do you ask?"

The smile that graced Harry's face previously returned with a vengeance upon hearing this, almost appearing to split his face in two.

"Oh, no reason."

The way he said that so innocently with that smile upon his face made Richard shudder in his portrait, while Nagini looked on with no small amount of approval. She didn't know what he was up to, but knowing that whatever it was would be good was half the fun. However that was not all Harry had up his sleeve, as he once more lost his smile and thought for a moment before speaking.

"Richard, you said that the manor was under some type of stasis ward when I am away...can you clarify on that ward a bit?"

It was quite amusing to see Richard puff up in pride, though the reason for that was soon apparent.

"Of course I can, Harry! Back when I was more than a mere portrait, I was considered quite adept at wards and how they function. I had even designed a few myself! But back to the topic at hand; to put it simply, the ward does not truly put everything in stasis, it merely slows down everything within its parameters to obscene levels that have been set by the ward's design. Back when it was designed it was thought that the ward would be too taxing on magic reserves to be practical, yet upon testing it they found that the ward actually _created_ a small surplus of magic that in the case of this manor, slowly feeds the ley lines this island rests on. The reason for this is due to the nature of the spell itself. Now I'm no muggle scientist, but if what I understand is correct then because the energy usually used within the boundaries of said ward suddenly stopped being used, the excess energy had to go somewhere. Because the wards were based on magic, the excess energy simply became magic and charged up the ley lines...or so I was told. My father was always fascinated with muggles and their science; I can hardly understand the basics, but I think that's how it goes. Why do you ask, Harry?"

During Richard's entire description, Harry listened with rapt attention; if he understood correctly, that particular ward actually slowed down _time_ within its borders, and even more it acted like a magical battery, however small! Even more surprising was that Richard delved into the muggle study of science, even if only the basics. Making a mental note to add science to his list of things to study, Harry asked his question.

"Alright, so basically this ward slows down time within its borders, am I right?"

That shook Richard up a bit...slow down time itself? He merely thought it made everything slower, thought process, physical actions, etc. But now that he thought about it, if that was the case then the castle would have slowly fallen into disarray over time, yet it was as if nothing changed! He briefly wondered if the creators of this ward even realized what they had stumbled upon. Snapping out of his reverie, he gave a slow nod to Harry, still reeling from just how powerful the ward could be.

"Ok...so here's my idea. How about instead of slowing down time within its borders, we instead do the opposite and speed it up? That way while everything outside of it goes normal speed, everything and everyone inside it will speed up. My idea is really for training purposes; I need to get strong and knowledgeable as fast as possible, and this is the best way I can see...if its feasible."

Harry had unknowingly awoke the ward-crafter in Richard; the man loved designing new ones, and the one that Harry was suggesting was certainly that...and _powerful_...frighteningly so. He seemed to have a quiet discussion with himself, oddly enough to the point where it appeared to his audience that he was arguing with himself. Yet Richard was completely oblivious to the amused looks that Harry and his companions were giving him as he thought of the runes needed to make such a thing possible. A good ten minutes had passed when the old portrait seemed to give a final nod of triumph and turned back to Harry.

"Well, I must say you're impressed me Harry. I don't think anyone else realized that we were actually manipulating time itself in that ward, but I digress. What you want should be fairly easy to create; while it would be nearly impossible to create such a ward from scratch, as we have not the expertise nor time needed to construct such, we _are _fortunate enough to have its reverse already made. I am experienced enough with warding that I should be able to simply copy the original ward and make a few changes, such as replacing the 'slow' rune with 'hasten' and tweak the severity of the hasten; it wouldn't do for a minute to pass out there and a century to pass in here if you plan on training."

Here Richard paused and fixed Harry with a serious stare, causing said boy to pay close attention.

"Now here's where it gets tricky. Unlike the other ward that actually produces some magic, I can guarantee you that this one will suck up magic like nothing I've ever seen. So much in fact, that the only way I see this happening is to have this ward directly feed from the ley lines that run through the island, and even then it will not be sustainable. I'm not sure how much time you'll be given before the ley lines are no longer able to support the ward and need to recharge, but I do know this; its a one time deal Harry. This will drain the ley lines to the point where it may take years to recharge them fully, and during that time all wards created and/or already in use will have to be powered by other means. That includes the disillusionment ward and notice-me-not, regardless of how little it takes to sustain them; if they are not powered by other means, this island will become visible to the muggles and their technology during your training. To the outside world it may only be for a day or so, but that is not a risk I am willing to take considering their cunning; I can indeed make the design for the rune stones necessary to activate this ward, but I will only do so once you come up with a way to keep the wards that protect this island up and running. Lastly, I will only make it once you give me a wizard's oath to never share this ward; what you have come up with Harry is very powerful, but more importantly it is _very dangerous_ if it winds up in the wrong hands. Do you understand?"

Although it was a setback Harry wasn't to happy about, he nodded in assent; he didn't even expect his idea to be possible, and now he had a way of training while simultaneously solving his time issue! Richard brought up a very good point though; they needed to be very secretive about this ward...he shuddered at the thought of what Voldemort could do, should he get his spindly hands on it. Pushing that thought aside, Harry gave his thanks to the old portrait and made his way to the entrance hall. While he walked there, the smile he wore previously returned as he thought of the island's size; it was perfect.

Nagini, having noticed his smile returning full force and the feeling of smug satisfaction practically rolling off him in waves, could take no more and rose her own head up beside his own, tapping him on his temple as she spoke to him through their bond.

'Alright, I was able to contain my curiosity when you gave that smile off the first time, knowing that I would know of your plans eventually. I even ignored the fact that you were completely blocking me from reading your inner thoughts...but seeing that same smile come back again is too much! At least give me a clue!'

Harry chuckled in amusement; it would seem he had found a weakness in his bonded. 'I thought the saying went, 'Curiosity killed the cat.', not 'Curiosity killed the snake.'?' That earned him a slap from her tail, causing him to laugh out loud at the embarrassment and annoyance she felt at being compared to a cat. 'Alright alright, but just one clue; I doubt it would give away anything anyways. Lets just say that I forgot that I needed to purchase something else yesterday...or should I say some_things_.'

While a confused Nagini stewed on his vague clue, Harry himself finally made his way to the entrance hall while pulling his hood over his head; it wouldn't do to have people recognize him. Once he arrived, he called his ever faithful little ball of energy, Dobby. During this time he had Hedwig fly off to wherever she wished at the moment, probably to go out hunting some mice on the island.

"Alright Dobby, I need to get back to Diagon Alley, but I need you to apparate me as close to Gringotts as you can; the less time I'm out in the open the better, the last thing I need is for Dumbledore and his stooges to catch my trail."

Nodding, Dobby did just as Harry asked and he, Nagini and the other four now slightly disgruntled snakes found themselves standing in a shaded alleyway just across the street from Gringotts. Nodding his head in thanks to his friend, Harry made his way to Gringotts at a steady pace while the occasional passerby gave him ample space. Inwardly he smirked at their reactions; its amazing what a difference a black hooded cloak can make. Soon enough he found himself once more in Gringotts and quickly made his way over to where he spotted the form of Griphook. Said goblin turned his weary eyes upon the cloaked person with suspicion, or at least he did until said figure spoke up in a quiet voice.

"Hello again Griphook. Sorry for the intrusion once more, but I still have unfinished business with Master Ragnok; is he free at the moment?"

Griphook relaxed once he recognized the voice of Harry Potter and with a motion to wait went into a backroom, no doubt to check. A minute later the goblin came back and spoke up in a voice just as quiet as Harry's own so that attention would not be brought to them, having already been informed of the situation.

"Sorry for the delay Mr. Potter. Master Ragnok does indeed have a spare moment, though it is just that; whatever business you need done must happen in a timely manner as he has a few appointments with some other rather influential clients. I hope this is alright?"

"Yes Griphook, I simply need to officiate my status as an adult with Ragnok. Once that is done I will have no other business for here, at least for now."

Harry was turning to walk away when Griphook caught his attention once again, his voice sounding oddly wary as he spoke.

"Just one more thing Mr. Potter. I do not mean to cause you discomfort, but as an employee of Gringotts and due to your mail being tampered with, I must inform you personally that there will be a will reading for one Sirius Black on the 25th of August. Not attending the hearing would be paramount to forfeiting any inheritance you might have otherwise claimed from him; it would be prudent to attend. On a side note Mr. Potter...I am sorry for your loss."

Harry was glad he had his hood up due to the tears that had fallen upon having that painful reminder thrust upon him. However, both he and Nagini knew that Griphook was just doing his duty.

"...Thank you, Griphook."

With that, Harry was led into the back area of Gringotts, where a guard eventually led him to the opulent office of Ragnok once more. Upon his arrival he didn't even have time to knock before the door swung open and he was met with the sight of Ragnok.

"Hello once again Mr. Potter, I've been expecting you. Come in, come in."

Harry quickly entered and sat at the offered seat in front of Ragnok's desk as Griphook closed the door on his way out. Once both were settled, Ragnok went straight to the heart of the matter.

"I am assuming you are here to finalize your status as a legal adult, Mr. Potter?" Getting a nod of confirmation Ragnok pressed on. "Then let us get down to it shall we? It may seem a little hasty, but I am a very busy goblin just as I'm sure you yourself are quite busy these days as well. Here are the papers for you need to sign; sign here, here, and here on each. After that, let one drop of your blood fall on your signatures; doing so will confirm aforementioned signature. Once all this is done that's it Mr. Potter; you will be your own wizard."

The thought of being free from the grasp of his oppressors brought a feral grin to Harry's face and a coinciding hiss from Nagini. He quickly signed the documents where specified and drew some blood with the knife borrowed from Ragnok and quickly let it fall on each signature which glowed a bright crimson before fading back to its original ink-black. Looking to Ragnok for confirmation, said goblin looked over the papers with a practiced eye before nodding in acceptance.

"The papers all look good...congratulations Mr. Potter...or should I say Lord Potter-Peverell?" The last part was said with a malicious smirk; Ragnok knew very well how much the boy in front of him would shake the very foundations of wizard society as they knew it, and he personally couldn't wait for the insanity to start. After all, while fighting by means of business endeavors and taking over said businesses was a nice substitute, nothing beat good old-fashioned bloodshed in his honest opinion.

"Just Mr. Potter if you would, or Lord Potter if you absolutely must; I would prefer to keep my other lineage a secret for now, you understand. Once more I thank you for all the help you have given to me...I cannot fathom why the other wizards treat your race so poorly, considering the skills by which you run your businesses. Good day, Master Ragnok."

With a nod from Ragnok, Harry strode out from the office and donned his hood once more before entering the entry area of Gringotts. Barely ten minutes had passed from the time he entered to the time he left Gringotts, and yet in that time he had utterly crippled Dumbledore's influence on his life; at least when not at school. Even then there are ways to help stunt that as well. Head held a little higher, Harry strode out into Diagon Alley and quickly made his way to Knockturn Alley, lest he attract attention he would rather avoid at this point in time.

Once they had entered Knockturn, Nagini felt comfortable enough to slightly expose her head so she could see where they were going. Confused by their re-emergence into Knockturn she was about to inquire why they were doing such when she remembered his vague clue. _'He said he forgot to pick up something...no, somethingS. I don't remember anything else in that Borgin place that interested him, and I highly doubt he'd ever want to return there anyway, not that I can blame him.' _She pondered for a moment more when she has a small epiphany _'The only other place we went to was that store for 'pets'...but why would h-...no, he couldn't be thinking of doing THAT could he?' _

Sure enough, Harry turned another corner and there was the 'pet' shop. Looking up at Harry's face, Nagini could literally see the smirk trying to break through on his face and could easily feel the amusement rolling off of him. She could only sigh at this; after seeing his memories she knew just how reckless her bonded could be when the occasion arose. _'-Sigh- He is. Well at least I know we most __certainly won't be bored during the training...I can only hope he limits himself a little if he's doing what I think he is.'_

Meanwhile, Harry was having quite a bit of difficulty keeping the smirk down that was just dying to form on his face. He knew very well that Nagini had figured out his admittedly vague clue but she did not know to what extent. Entering the shop once more, Harry was more prepared for the looming man behind the counter who was now looking at him with slight surprise and familiarity.

"You again? Didn't expect to see you again anytime soon. Doesn't matter though, I assume you'd like to look at the special goods once again?" Getting a nod from Harry he spoke once more after they entered the room. "Alright you know the drill, get what you want, pay and get out."

Rolling his eyes at the man (once Harry turned around, of course) Harry spotted the ten eggs sitting exactly where they were. He was about to approach them when he glanced at the other creatures there; the Venislew and the young Griffon. He remembered how Fawkes could 'flame' people virtually anywhere...that would be a very handy backup to have. Looking at the Griffon he couldn't stop the slight wince at the image of glaring red and gold that flared up in his mind but quickly stomped down that image; it wasn't the Griffon's fault that such a...colorful house chose it as their mascot. An idea brewing in his head, Harry turned to the shop-owner and spoke up.

"Sir, I have a few questions about these creatures. First off, was this Griffon captured or raised in captivity?"

Raising an eyebrow at the odd question, the man answered nonetheless in his gruff and blunt way. "Captured. Little over three months ago."

Harry gave the Griffon a once over with an appraising eye, the plan in his head now becoming clearer. _'Hmm...judging by its size and what Hagrid said about them, I'd say -glances down- ...she's about ten years old, only a year or so away from full maturity. Even better is she was raised wild; I don't know the first thing about caring for a Griffon.'_

"Alright, last question. Those dragon eggs...what kind are they?"

At this the man actually smirked; it admittedly unnerved Harry a bit.

"Hungarian Horntail. The whole lot of them."

At this Harry could help but gape as he turned around and looked at them once more. Images of the Triwizard Tournament's first task rushed through his mind at the mentioning of the name, but he shoved those away with the help of Nagini. _'ALL of them are Horntails? Bloody hell, I had expected one, maybe two to be one but ALL of them!' _He was just about to change his plans concerning them drastically when an idea popped into his head.

'Nagini, are dragons able to understand Parseltongue?'

Said snake looked at him like he grew a second head, garnering a raised eyebrow from the shop-owner as he observed the scene from the door.

'This is upon the assumption that I have talked to a dragon before, Harry? Do you think I'm mad? I'm a snake, I'd end up becoming a well cooked meal before I even got within speaking distance! I mean...it might work, dragons _are_ closely related to serpents, but as I said I have not tried speaking to one so I wouldn't know.'

Although Harry felt a little heat rise to his cheeks due to Nagini's stating what should have been obvious to him, Harry still gave a nod of thanks as he thought on the matter some more. _'Alright...so I MIGHT be able to talk to them. Not exactly a small risk considering what I'm dealing with, however dragons take at least five years to fully mature; if things start looking bad I'll have time to...improvise.'_ His decision made, Harry turned around and said four words that made all his passengers choke in shock.

"I'll take them all."

Shock was also apparent on the shop-owner's face before it changed to a rather nasty sneer. "Look here kid, even if you were able to take care of TEN dragons, a griffon and a Venislew, I _highly _doubt you'd be able to afford them all. You think those snakes you bought were expensive? Sure, they might have been magical and some hard to find but they're snakes, not uncommon. On the other hand, you're wanting to buy ten dragons which were _exceedingly_ hard to obtain, a griffon which is quite frankly a relatively rare magical creature, and finally a Venislew, which are basically extinct! Give me one good reason why I should even _start_ to think you have the money necessary for them."

While the man's rant was impressive and only amplified by his large stature, Harry thankfully had a very convincing counter-argument. After all, what happened in here could not be spoken of or mentioned in any way, shape or form. He simply withdrew from his cloak his Gringott's card and held it up for the man to see. 'Widening of the eyes? Check. Eyebrows vacating face and relocating to hairline? Check. Now we just need to wait for the...ahh there it is! The look of greed. Hook, line, and sinker.'

While Nagini's muffled hisses of laughter were going on underneath his cloak, the man snapped out of his gaping and for the first time actually smiled. Granted it was a smile just oozing with greed, but Harry took what he could get, all things considered.

"Well you've got the money alright, kid. I'm not even going to ask what the bloody hell you want with all these animals and I really don't want to know so long as you buy 'em."

Harry did just that, using his Gringotts card to pay for them instead of dumping a large pile of gold out inside the store. The transaction complete, the man spoke up with his smile of greed still plastered on his face.

"Right. I'll just shrink the eggs for you along with the cloth they're in; you need to keep them warm at all times, hot if you can manage it. The Venislew and Griphon will be a little bit trickier if you don't want to draw attention to yourself...since you just made me quite well off, I could drop them off at a pickup location if you need one."

Harry shook his head at this, though he was surprised the man actually offered to help him. "There will be no need for that sir. Dobby!"

A few seconds and a pop later, Dobby was soon taking both cages back to Potter Manor, where Harry would deal with them when he got back. When asked if he needed anything else Harry responded in the positive quietly, so the shop-owner couldn't overhear.

"Actually yes Dobby. While I don't need you right at this moment I will most likely be needing your assistance in moving things to Potter Manor throughout the day. On another note, how goes the search for willing house-elves? Oh, and speak quietly and only with 'Sir' for now Dobby, I'd rather not let this man know who I am."

Dobby seemed to have a small seizure at the thought of being so useful today but spoke nonetheless. "They is all ready to serve you Sir and is waiting at the manor."

Surprised that Dobby already had him his ten house-elves (Dobby included) but pleased regardless, Harry laid down some ground rules for them to follow. "Good work Dobby. I'm going to lay down some ground rules that apply to all house-elves employed under me, that includes you. You all will have 10 hour workdays during which you will have two breaks of 45 minutes each; the breaks are non-negotiable, I'm not going to run my workers ragged. If its absolutely unbearable working _only_ ten hours a day then the _absolute_ maximum is twelve hours. I'll leave the assigning of shifts to you, but at least two house-elves must be on shift at all times in case something was to occur. If one of you is not on an assignment I have given, then they are to simply keep the manor in good condition since it will not go back into 'standby' when being under my care are in it, thus it will need cleaning. For now their priority is to help you move any purchases I may need moved back into the Manor, where they will then place them in the room next to my own. You got all that Dobby?"

His answer was an excited nod as he turned to the cages. The griphon barely had time to look up before they popped away, whereas the Venislew managed a startled squawk before it too was whisked off.

The shop-owner simply blinked at the scene before simply shrugging his massive shoulders; they were already paid for, what does he care about what happens to them now? Turning to the kid he raised an eyebrow and opened the door once more. He may have been happy about the large purchase but his message was clear to everyone there: If you're done buying things, leave.

And Harry did just that, exiting the shop as the owner damn near slammed the door behind his back. 'Yes, quite the charming man indeed.' This garnered a chuckle from Nagini as he pondered on what to do next while walking back to the entrance into Diagon Alley. 'There's not really all that much else I need here at the moment...at least not anything someone likely has. I don't know of any magical artifacts or spells that actually _generate_ a moderate sum of magic except the ward set up on the Mansion...and that one will be out of commission while we're using the modified version for training.'

Nagini, having been listening to Harry as he rambled on through their link finally stopped him with a slight tightening of her coils and an exasperated/amused sigh via the link. 'Thought like a true wizard, Harry. Have you forgotten your other roots so soon? You lived in muggle society most of your life, though granted it was quite...secluded in your particular situation. However I know you have seen at least some of what they have accomplished, and from the short time I've been with you I've seen things that wizards can't even comprehend! Take for instance that moving metal monster we were in!' 'Vehicle, Nagini' 'Right, that! Muggles were able to make that thing move without magic, so it had to get its power from somewhere. Who's to say you can't buy what you're looking for with muggles?'

That stopped Harry dead in his tracks for a second, making a pedestrian behind him swear silently as he swerved around the suddenly still cloak figure before moving on with a sneer, not that Harry noticed nor cared. However it was only for a second before he continued moving once more, this time with a clear location in mind; The Leaky Cauldron and ultimately, muggle London.

'How is it exactly that a snake whom has barely even seen the muggle world can come up with that solution whereas I, who lived entirely in the muggle world for the first eleven years of my life could not?'

The frustration and incredulity was all to clear as his thoughts rang through her head, causing Nagini to once more force herself to stifle her amused hiss, lest she startle the wizards and witches around them. 'I'm just that good, Harry. After all, everyone knows that snakes are the most cunning of all creatures.'

The haughtiness in her voice, although clearly acted out, make Harry shake his head in bemusement at the character of his familiar. He had to admit though, that he had been in a far better mood ever since they had performed the familiar bond. Granted, some of his good mood most likely had to do with him finally breaking free of his puppet strings, but the majority of it came from having someone he could truly rely on; someone who _knew_ what he went through and had their own rather unpleasant experiences to back it up. Once more he silently thanked Nagini for trying to kill him, albeit unwillingly. Funny as it may sound, had she not then they would have most likely never met, and thus he would not have a dear friend and more importantly, someone that would stay with him for life...it was a comforting feeling.

Nagini would have smiled if her face was capable of it as Harry's emotions went from amusement, to reminiscent, and then finally settled to a warm satisfaction that she just _knew_ was aimed at her. However her demeanor quickly changed as Harry exited the Leaky Cauldron and entered muggle London; the sounds that were just a second ago the quiet lull of small conversations now became the dull roar of thousands of people traversing the streets, 'Vehicles' rumbling by with their own distinct roars, _'Still think they're monsters'_ and the dull rumble of something _large _underneath the ground passing by; she would rather not think about that last one. Combined, all these sounds make a near deafening roar to her sensitive hearing and so she completely submerged herself in Harry's cloak, even going so far as to press her head against his back to muffle the sound somewhat until she could adjust to it.

Harry, having noticed Nagini's sudden retreat within the cloak and her discomfort at the noise quietly mumbled _"Silencio"_and cast the spell so that it quieted all incoming noises directed at himself and his passengers instead of silencing one object in particular. He didn't completely silence the noise because they would be left without a very important sense and therefore simply toned down the noise to a bearable level for his serpentine friends. The quiet hisses of relief he heard in response to the spell was all he needed as he walked along the crowded corridors of London's downtown metropolis.

Upon turning the corner he came across a rather large clothing store, if the mannequins dressed in all manners of clothing were any indication. Looking at his _quite_ out of place plain black robe he decided that dropping in quickly for clothes would be prudent; the amount of raised eyebrows he was getting from the other pedestrians just amplified that point further even if his hood was lowered a while back.

Quickly walking into the store, Harry was momentarily stunned at the sheer selection that greeted him; rows upon rows of clothes of all colors and styles greeted his eyes, some of which he had absolutely _no_ idea as to what they were or where they were worn. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted what could only be a clothier glance his way before positively _blanching_ at him. He promptly ignored the woman as he knew all to well how much he stuck out but could care less at the moment; this visit was for the NEXT time he walked around somewhere muggle; he didn't think they'd appreciate him walking around with five snakes wrapped around his limbs and torso like some makeshift clothing were he to take off his cloak. Looking around the mass of textiles that hung everywhere, eventually his eyes landed on something he actually recognized; jeans. Even better, above said rack of jeans was a picture of a man clothed in said jeans and looking quite _normal_ while beside said picture the words "Men's Clothing" stood out; how convenient!

Strolling to the section, Harry was quick to grab five pairs of jeans that actually fit him after some experimenting and then ten shirts; five black and five green. After this he grabbed the other necessities; undergarments and socks. His little clothes shopping spree done, Harry walked to the cashiers and waited in the line. Upon finally making it to one, Harry was quite embarrassed when upon having to pay he simply held out his Gringott's card. The cashier merely gave him a deadpanned look before pointing to an odd looking machine with a slit in it. Eventually he figured it out after following the convenient picture and paid, hastily walking out of the store with his face still beet red and Nagini shaking in her mirth.

Grumbling under his breath about complicated muggle contraptions, Harry made a mental note to get some books about technology; he was going to be reading quite a bit, it would seem. The only problem? It would seem that muggles didn't partake in reading a great deal, for he could not for the life of him find a bookstore! He was just about to start swearing up a storm when he caught sight of a poster on a store selling what appeared to be more muggle contraptions. What caught his eye was one word in particular; generator. Reading the entire adversisement, they apparently sold something called a "portable generator". However upon entering the store and seeing said generator, the only reason they could have possibly have called it portable was the fact it had two wheels at the end. Other than those it reached up to damn near his shoulders and considering it looked like a solid chunk of metal painted green he could only shudder at what it must weigh. Were he a muggle he would have a daunting task ahead of him...luckily he had no such limitations and had a very handy moving device by the name of Dobby.

Upon approaching a salesperson and expressing his interest in the large 'portable' generator it was like the man lit up; apparently it was a fairly expensive item. Remembering what Richard said about there being ten runestones set up along the island to cover its entirety for the concealment wards, Harry told the man he wanted to purchase ten of them, and this was where he ran into slight complications. While the man was understandably excited he was also even more suspicious and voiced his suspicions of what exactly a boy like him wanted with ten generators and how said boy could pay for them. Fortunately for Harry, the Slytherin side of him that he had suppressed the last five years sprang up at this opportunity to show itself and he informed the man that he was doing this because his father, a Vernon Dursley wanted said generators for his company. Of course the man asked for addresses and phone numbers that Harry readily gave; upon which they moved onto the purchase as Harry once more used his Gringotts card. Upon being asked where his father wanted them moved he simply told them to drop them by his house; the Dursleys wouldn't even know of the transaction if he was lucky. To Harry's fortune, the man also informed him that the generators would be filled this once compliments of the store for the purchase. Upon exiting the store Harry entered an empty alley and called Dobby, where he instructed the elf to transport the generators to the manor once they were in the truck and to take his clothing purchases while the elf was at it. Once this was done he walked to the back of the store and waited until he was ten of the generators being loaded onto a truck before a person started walking to the driver side of the truck; presumably the driver. Upon making sure that no one else was looking his or the driver's way, Harry took out his wand and with a quick whispered _"Obliviate!"_ the man forgot he ever had the generators in his truck.

Nodding in satisfaction, Harry reentered the mainstream of downtown London on his search for a bookstore once again, but this time with a different approach. He simply went back to the area around the Leaky Cauldron and looked the opposite direction from which he first searched. Upon turning the corner and finding himself looking at what could only be a bookstore with the name "Foyles" standing out on the front he nearly hexed the next person that gave him an odd glance. Entering the store with a grumble, Harry was once more surprised by the sheer size of the place but this time did not stop; he was getting used to the apparent fact that muggles like to make everything BIG. It took a good hour and some browsing, but when Harry exited the story he was doing so with bags upon bags of books that were quite heavy. He had gotten an few military strategy books, one being highly recommended to him by an imposing looking fellow called "The Art of War" by a man called Sun Tzu. A handful of history books that would bring him up to date on what the muggle world has done, a fairly large sum of books that would give him some insight into the workings of technology, and finally books that supposedly taught mathematics up to something called "Calculus" with corresponding books that taught Chemistry, Physics and Biology. The last book he got was one that he had absolutely no understanding of but for some reason intrigued him to no end; Genetics. Upon inquiring of the book the clerk he asked informed him with absolute certainty that he would have to have a considerable amount of knowledge in Chemistry and Biology before he should even venture there; this just intrigued Harry further. He bought the book with the knowledge that while he most certainly could not understand it now, that he would by the time his training was complete, and hopefully sooner.

Exiting the bookstore, Harry was sorely tempted to buy a computer; a laptop in particular (Sorry, but in this story the technology will reflect the modern technology of today; I was a kid in the 90's when this part took place), but restrained himself from doing so. The reason for this is that for some odd reason any muggle electronics would react quite...poorly to anything magical based, and he'd rather not buy something just for it to break as soon as he got to his manor. However this would not deter him; he mentally promised himself to figure out some way to adapt muggle technology so that it _would_ work, but that was a ways down the line. For now he had all he needed at the moment and thus decided it was time to return to the manor and hopefully begin his training. Stepping into an alley, Harry called Dobby and soon they were all once more inside the Manor's main hall.

Taking a moment to reorient himself and giving an annoyed Nagini an apologetic scratch, Harry quickly made his way back to his rooms where Richard along with all his newly purchased products were waiting for him, including 10 generators of considerable size. Said portrait turned his gaze from the purchased items and rose an eyebrow at Harry before speaking.

"Welcome back young heir, I see you've been quite busy today, hmm? Though I am curious; I recognize most of these items, but what are these ten large metal things?"

Mentally crossing his fingers in hopes that it would work, Harry replied. "Those are muggle generators, Richard. According to the man who sold me them, they generate electricity that they use to power...well everything. These can supposedly run for days without having to be refilled with gasoline, which is a liquid muggles use to power much of their machines. I was thinking that maybe these could each power an individual runestone?"

Leaning back in his portrait, Richard stroked his beard as he thought of what Harry said. After a few minutes of murmured words and what appeared to be arguments with himself, Richard spoke up.

"I can't say for certain that it will, but theoretically it should. Luckily for you the runewords that were meant to power the runestones are "Draw", "Passive", and "Power" which roughly translates as the runestone would draw power that is otherwise left unused and use it to power the wards. What we're hoping on is that when it says 'power' it means of all kinds; this 'electricity' included. Only way to really find out is for you to bring one of those generators out to a runestone and set the stone on top of wherever this electricity comes out of; you'll be able to feel the shift from one power source to another if it works; you might even be able to visually see it. Luckily for you, Dobby can bring you to one so you don't have to walk there with those cumbersome things."

Harry was just about to get Dobby to take him to a runestone when he felt four of the five bodies wrapped around him quickly vacate his body and make a dash for his bed in the other room. He could hear the low muttering hisses as they grumbled about 'crazy wizards' and 'stupid uncomfortable popping'. Laughing quietly under his breath, Harry shot a questioning look at the only one who stayed and was met with the clearly annoyed yet adamant gaze of Nagini.

~_I may not enjoy all this teleporting around that we're doing, but that won't stop me from staying with you, Harry. You and I both know the depths to which our bond reaches and how uncomfortable we'd be without the other close by...besides, I for one am comfortable and warm; let the others shudder without your body heat; I'll weather the uncomfortable sensation._~

_'A slytherin response if I ever did hear one; she admits she doesn't want to leave me, yet upon realizing her declaration quickly adds the benefits to staying. Regardless, I quite enjoy her wit; its certainly better than the rather one-track conversations that Ron came up with that usually had to either do with A: slacking off on homework, B: Quidditch, or C. Food...yes, I'll take Nagini over Ron any day.' _

Chuckling at her response to his unspoken query, Harry gently stroked the scales just past her head, garnering contented hisses as he replied. ~_Always the faithful one, aren't you Nagini? What you said is true for me as well, and I reward faithfulness with my own faithfulness to you. However I'll be straight out and say I simply enjoy being around you with or without any physical comfort, even if you are quite comfortable._~ The last half of the sentence was said while throwing a playful wink at Nagini, who ducked her head in embarrassment at being found out.

Turning his attention away from an embarrassed Nagini and ignoring the look Richard was aiming towards the both of them, Harry requested that Dobby take both him and one of the generators to a runestone, and soon he found himself being buffeted by a cold gale, courtesy of the mountainside they currently found themselves at.

Nearly cursing at the biting wind and very aware of Nagini's extreme displeasure at the sudden freezing temperatures, Harry quickly cast a warming charm over everyone including Dobby, whom he was surprised didn't freeze on the spot with the small elf's lack of acceptable clothing and bony stature. One the charm took effect and the feeling in his fingers returned, Harry looked around for the runestone and found it resting inside a small alcove in the mountainside that had obviously been made for the sole purpose of holding it. It wasn't really much to look at really, just a simple flat, circular stone. But engraved upon it were runes and runewords weaved in such a way that the finished product was beautiful too look at, regardless of the rather dull stone it was engraved upon. However, he needed to turn on the generator before he got anything else accomplished.

Turning to the large block of metal sitting in the snow, he made his way over and after a minute of inspection found a key that he turned to "On" status...and nothing happened. Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, Harry looked at the generator again before coming upon a pull-string with a grip at the end. Strugging, Harry pulled on the string and was rewarded by a cranking noise and a slight sputter. Getting fed up with the stubborn metal box and the cold gales around him, Harry set one of his feet on the generator and using that and his arms, pulled with all he had; and was promptly sent on his ass when the generator started up with a roar. Scrambling back away from the machine that sounded rather angry, he eyed it for a moment before determining that it just sounded that way, even though it thankfully quieted down after its initial roar to a low rumble. Taking the runestone, Harry began to move it around the surface of the generator hoping that _something_ would happen, and luckily for him, something did. As soon as he ran it across the part where multiple holes were in the generator (sockets), the runestone abruptly yanked itself out of his hand and stuck to the generator like a magnet. Only a second passed before Harry could feel a magical shift in the area around him like Richard said, before the runes on the stone suddenly lit up a blinding yellow for a few moments before slowly settling down once again. The smile that made its way to Harry's face simply couldn't be hid; it worked.

Upon returning to the manor and informing Richard of the success, said portrait began to draw out the runes necessary for them to enact their plan, informing Harry that it would take at the very least a few hours to finish the design, regardless of its similarities to the one that was around the manor. In the meantime, Harry grabbed a book on animagi and returned to his bedroom, where he propped himself up against the bed and read his book with Nagini quietly following along, idly wondering if his unofficial stalkers were having as much success as he was.

~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~

-(Order of the Phoenix Headquarters, A.K.A. Black Manor)-

To one Albus Dumbledore, as the search for Harry Potter dragged on he was starting to wonder if this was more than a simple teenage rebellion. For one thing, the point-me spell would now no longer work for some reason whereas before it would point to London; Diagon Alley in particular. There were only a few possible reasons why the point-me spell would cease to work, and none of them were scenarios he liked. First was that the boy was dead; in this case the spell would not even respond to the designation of "Harry Potter"; you'd have to specify his body. However he would have been warned far before this by his tracking devices if such a thing occurred, so that was out of the question. Next was that he was in a location that had wards specifically for the sole purpose of keeping the location unknown, or 'unplottable'. This was the only feasible option he could think of, but if this was the case then just where was the boy? If he was taken by death eaters the devices which monitored his safety would have gone completely mad, so he was safe wherever he was...which means the only viable scenario he could think of was that the brat had found, _on his own_, a heavily warded safehouse!

Sitting at the end chair inside the kitchen of Black Manner, Albus Dumbledore rubbed his eyes wearily; he no longer looked like the cat that caught the canary. _'And to think, the summer was starting out so well too.'_

However his musings were cut short when the fireplace flared and a highly disheveled Minerva McGonagall stumbled out before righting herself. This alone was enough to set him on edge; he could count on one hand the number of times he had seen the prim and proper head of Gryffindor House. Before he was even able to ask a question said witch turned her eyes on Albus and he would have choked on a lemon drop if he had one; never had he seen the witch so angry, and at _him_ of all people! The question he was about to ask was soon to be answered though, and by a _very _irate McGonagall.

"Albus Dumbledore! I said it when we first left young Harry at those _thing's _house and I'll say it again; keeping him there WAS and IS a mistake! The amount of fury those people hold for anything magical was absolutely appalling, I'd wager there were friendlier faces at the Salem Witch Trials! Blood protection be damned, Albus! Sure it might keep Voldemort from killing poor Harry, but it won't stop his relatives from doing so! And before you even say I'm over-reacting over one of my cubs I made _this_" Here she slings a memory vial at a wide-eyed Dumbledore "to silence any such accusations; all the evidence is in there; Merlin knows how those disgusting Dursleys wouldn't stop gloating about all the 'discipline' they gave Harry! I have abided in your decisions for decades Albus, even when I didn't like them...but _this_...this went too far. I'm no fool; I know you have devices that monitor his health and the simple fact that you _never_ intervened when he was _abused_ is simply inexcusable; I will not stand by you on this decision, Albus. Furthermore, unless this order get a major overhaul and fixes its policies I will have nothing to do with it; as of now I am simply the head of Gryffindor House and the Transfiguration Professor. Good day, Headmaster."

And with that, McGonagall spun back around, threw some floo powder into the fireplace and with a shout of "Hogwarts!" whisked off, leaving an old man looking at the vial in his hands like it was poison and wondering just how his day could get so bad so quick.

~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~

-(Potter Manor)-

Both Harry and Nagini were deeply entrenched in the book on animagi; one due to his interest in becoming one and the other due to her fascination that a wizard could become an animal. So wrapped up in the book that they didn't notice the highly amused gazes of the other four snakes due to their positions; Harry's nose nearly touching to book and Nagini's head resting on top of his as she read as well. This was the sight that Dobby came in on, and for a second the elf shared in the amusement before he remembered his task and spoke up.

"I is sorrys for bothering Mr. Potter, but Mr. Richard said he is done with design, Mr. Potter sir."

Finally wrenching his eyes up from the book, Harry cast a time spell and was slightly shocked that nearly three hours had passed; guess the book interested him more than he knew. After telling Dobby that he'd be there in a minute, Harry turned his attention to Nagini, who was still using his head as a headrest. He couldn't see her, but he could feel the satisfaction coming from her.

~_Sooo...you plan on staying like that?~_

A bit of movement on his head and soon Harry was looking at the head of an upside-down Nagini who was regarding him with a mix of contentment and smug amusement.

~_Yes, I do believe I am going to stay like this; your hair is quite comfortable, Harry._~

The laughing from his other four companions was unmistakable, and Harry himself laughed at the situation before heading into the other room, where a proud Richard sat in his chair inside the portrait with what could only be the new runewords arranged into an artistic circle on a parchment. Ignoring the look Richard was giving the two, Harry sat down on a chair and addressed him.

"So, I'm guessing that's it, huh?"

That seemed to be all he needed to say, for Richard immediately took the subject and ran with it, completely forgetting about Harry and Nagini's humorous position.

"That it is, Harry! I'll admit it was a little harder than I thought and I had to tweak the design a bit, but the fundamental activation sequence I left untouched; I just redefined what it did _after_ activating. Essentially I did as I thought I'd have to, switching the runeword "Slow" with "Hasten" and tuning down the intensity so that a century doesn't pass in a minute; wouldn't work anyway, it'd take too much power. Back to the point, you need to engrave this _EXACTLY_ as I have shown before you onto a minimum of five flat, round stones; any less and you could destabilize the area effected by the ward. Once that's done, simply take the new runestones and place them where you want the boundaries and once you're ready, simply channel some of your magic into one of them. Since they are all linked, they will all take that as the cue to activate and upon discovering that you are no longer a viable power source, they will turn to the magical ley lines. If my estimations are correct we'll have a little over five years to get ready, but it could extend up to six or possibly seven even though the chance of that happening is _highly_ unlikely."

Harry nodded and did as he was told, finding five stones of considerable size, he brought them back in front of Richar'd portrait and painstakingly engraved the runes onto the stones with a small cutting hex being maintained on the end of his wand. It took nearly two hours to finish the five stones, and another 30 minutes of comparing them to Richard's before they finally deemed them suitable for the task. With that done, Harry headed out along with Nagini to find suitable locations for the stones, and eventually ended up placing them in a large pentagonal shape with the manor as the center. Harry make sure to include a large portion of the surrounding forests as well, knowing that what resided within needed to be able to sustain all of them, including their new additions...ten dragons in particular. Thus he needed to make sure there was a large population of herbivores that could withstand the demand. Luckily for him, years and years of isolation and abundant resources led to an abundance of animal life; deer in particular, though there were other smaller herbivores present, along with a horde of rodents, much to his serpent friends' delight. Once all the stones were arranged in the way he wanted them, Harry did as Richard instructed and sent some of his magic into the one he was next to. Upon doing so, the stone glowed a deep forest green before the color changed to a bright blue; apparently the color of the ley lines' magic. All was quiet for a second before a massive barrier sprung up a few feet in front of the stone and encompassed the entire area in a large pentagonal sphere.

Harry was about to see if it worked when his sight fell upon something that gave him all the proof he needed; a bird outside the barrier appeared to have simply frozen in time. A smile spread across his face and he said two words that would have a monumental impact upon the magical world as they knew it.

"It begins."

(Alright guys, I was sorely tempted to stop here but I'll keep going, just for the sake of getting this part done with...yes its the dreaded training arc...though its not really an arc. Before you get a pissy know that I'm making it as short as possible; I know just how painful multi-chapter training arcs can be, and I don't want to subject you to that. Therefore while this will cover the years Harry trains, it will do so _briefly_ with the sole exception of vital moments than need to be shown in detail, which will be shown in flashbacks. The true meat of the story starts after this chapter; everything up until and including this point has been preparation for what's to come, and I hope you all will enjoy it. Oh and one last thing to keep you on your toes...although I won't come outright and say it until the end, the pairing for this story should be painfully obvious by the end of this chapter...alright I'm done hogging the spotlight for now.)

Year One:

Almost immediately after the activation of the new ward, Harry ran into a problem upon returning to the manor; the river which would have provided a ready water source for them would not sustain them for five years, mainly because the section within the ward was essentially cut off from the other parts. This also brought up another problem; keeping the plant life alive without rain. His solution? Aguamenti. Although it was a pain, until he had a better solution Harry had to literally water the forest every week or so, which thankfully didn't take too long due to the copious amounts of water Aguamenti spewed out, though it did leave him rather drained afterwards. As for his studies, Harry began learning the mathematics needed to eventually reach Calculus while building up a strong knowledge-base for chemistry and biology.

For his physical training regiments, Harry was delighted when Richard informed him that the manor came equipped with training dummies much like the ones he used in the Room of Requirements, only the ones in the manor would have raised red flags at the ministry, mainly due to the difficulty levels they could be set to. At highest, the dummies could emulate with startling success the actions and spells of Voldemort's Inner Circle death eaters...and there was ten dummies that could be activated at once. However for the first year Harry kept it on the low levels, slowly working his way up. To fix his stunted growth, he used the knowledge in some of his potion books to brew up and maintain a regiment of potions meant to fix what years of malnutrition has wrought upon him. At first it surprised him how easy potions seemed to be now, until Nagini reminded him that the absence of a certain professor sneering down his back and sniping at him every few minutes could improve anyone's ability to brew potions. To tone his body, Harry ran laps around the perimeter of the barrier 'daily' (seeing as how there were no days due to everything seemingly frozen outside the barrier, including the sun), initially only doing one a day but pushing himself to run farther and faster each day. Under the instruction of Richard whom he eventually learned was an auror back in his day, he began to gain considerable muscle tone with exercises designed specifically for that purpose.

His relationship with the other occupants of the manor grew as the year went on, the Venislew (which he named Aqua) having taken a liking to him and initiating a far weaker familiar bond with Harry, while the Gryffon was still slightly weary of him even after a year; he didn't blame her, knowing she probably had a bad experience with humans. As for his relationship with the other four snakes Aritus, Iocus, Callidus and Saffir, he could honestly say he loved them (in a platonic way). Aritus seemed to be the unofficial leader of their little group, often being the voice of reason amongst them while he learned (much to his pleasure) that Iocus and Callidus the twins were quite mischievous, which led him to theorize that all twins have such a side in some form or fashion. Saffir was the one that toned down the twin's lively nature with her own gentle nature. As for his relationship with Nagini, he could say with utmost certainty that she was the best thing to happen to him. During the year they got to know each-other to the point where nothing was hidden; if one asked the other told, with the sole exception being surprises of the pleasant sort. They practiced with their sense-sharing to the point where each was essentially looking in two places at once.

However the biggest event that occurred during the year was the hatching of all ten dragon eggs, and Harry had to admit for such a fearsome species they did look quite adorable when they were the size of a mini-dog. However that small stature was quickly lost, for by the end of the year the four females reached up to around four feet (head included), with the six males standing almost five feet. He had yet to name them mainly due to the fact that he still couldn't understand them...that or they couldn't talk yet.

Year Two:

With the second year came great progress for Harry concerning his studies in mathematics, chemistry and biology. He had completed the foundational mathematics needed to begin Calculus and was at least halfway through said subject by the end of the year. As for chemistry, Harry had completely memorized the table of elements and understood how they reacted between one another. In biology, Harry began delving into the makings of cell-structures and how bodies worked; in particular he studied DNA, since he figured out that it was a vital part of understanding genetics.

As for the physical aspects of his training, his body truly began to show the efforts of his potion regiment, as he had grown to a respectable 5' 8" and was apparently due for more. He could now run a lap around the several-mile perimeter without being winded and could push himself for another 3 before having to stop. His training with the dummies was paying off as well, considering he now had it on mid-auror settings and would take on at most four dummies with that setting.

He also began studying battle tactics and strategies used by muggles during their multiple wars, and was beginning to realize just how tiny their own war against Voldemort was in the big scope of things. He nearly fainted from shock when he learned that the Russians had lost an estimated _twenty million_ soldiers/civilians during World War II...Harry wasn't even sure the entire world had twenty million wizards!

As expected, his relationship with the other inhabitants of Potter Manor only improved during this time, as every snake could often be found wrapped around one of his limbs, with Nagini in her customary spot around his torso. Speaking of his wonderful familiar, they had begun practice fighting with Nagini wrapped around Harry, both looking out for each other's back and both were astounded at the success. If one was left vulnerable from over-extension, the other would cover the weakness until they could recover, and due to their bond it was instantaneous.

The Gryffon, which he ended up naming Sophia, finally warmed up to him after a particularly nasty incident where she 'vented' on him for past transgressions that other humans had inflicted upon her. Apparently seeing him take no retaliatory actions against her after her attack did the trick, for the next morning upon waking up he found himself staring into the brown eyes of Sophia whom decided that she would rest by the bed. It was due to this that Harry had to apologize to five irate snakes, two worried birds, and one startled Gryffon after he screamed for all he was worth at what amounted to six in the morning. Luckily for him the dragons slept in the large entry hall.

Speaking of the dragons, by year's end the females were just over six feet and the males were pushing seven and both at least twice as long. All had began attempts at flying and had managed to get gliding down to an art, though they just didn't have the wing muscles yet necessary to fly. It was a great relief to Harry that as their size grew the did not begin to see him as a possible meal, and one day near the end of the year he found out why.

Flashback

"Hey Richard! Have you seen the dragons today! I can't find the buggers!"

Said portrait threw Harry an incredulous glance before he spoke up. "You're telling me you can't find ten six foot dragons that have all the subtlety of a rampaging bull? And for that matter, why would I see them? They can't even come in these corridors anymore, let alone the rooms!"

"Alright alright, I get it! No need to get all snippy with me...grumpy geezer." The last part was mumbled and judging by the look on Richard's face, it was a wise decision to do so. Deciding to check the lower floors again, Harry wondered once more how ten dragons had escaped not only his notice but the senses of Nagini. He was just about to head into the dining hall when he caught a glimpse of red outside the window. Peeking outside, both he an Nagini were stunned to see all ten of them outside in a huddle, seemingly growling something to each-other. Curious and relieved that they had found them, Harry headed outside while absently casting a warming charm. Upon stepping outside, he immediately approached the ten dragons and spoke up.

"There you guys are! I've been looking all over for you; why are you outside in this freezing weather? I know you'll soon be too big even for the entrance halls, but you've still got a ways to go yet."

He was expecting them to simply greet him as they always do; approach and smother. Yet he was in the shock of his life when they all looked at him for a moment and began their growling-hisses again. _'Now think about it, its almost like they're trying to talk.'_ After a few moments more, some decision seemed to be made and one of the females was nudged, apparently chosen for whatever it was they were up to. However he froze colder than the snow around him when the female seemed to work her jaw a bit, look up and utter one word.

~_Father._~

It definitely held a rough tone to it, but there was no mistaking that it was parseltongue and feminine...but most important was the word that was spoken, and judging by the way Nagini nearly squeezed him to death, the was more than a bit stunned as well.

~_W-What did you say?_~

Nagini chose this time to rear her head up and to the side of Harry's own, as if getting a clear view would lessen the insanity. As for the female, she simply continued staring at Harry before uttering the word once again...with a twist.

~_Father._~ Here she paused, this time directing her attention to Nagini. ~_Mother._~

Both would later swear they heard muffled laughter coming from the group, but both were far too busy looking at each-other with gaping jaws and disbelieving expressions on their faces.

End Flashback

No matter how much they tried, Harry and Nagini could not convince the dragons that they were not their parents. After a month of trying both just gave up and let the delusional group continue calling them mother and father. On the plus side though, the relationship between them grew exponentially, now that Harry and Nagini could talk to them and even name them, which the dragons basically begged them to do one day. The males were named Brimstone, Backdraft, Scathe, Firestorm, Spike and Overheat, while the females were named Blaze, Wildfire, Scorch and Talon.

Year Three:

The third year was by far the most mellow of the years, with little of significance happening. Harry had completed his studies in mathematics including Calculus, as well as chemistry and biology. That being said, he spend a good portion of his time reading and learning genetics and basically what made you, you.

Physically, he could now run two laps without being winded and could push himself to 5 in one session, and could now take on all ten of the dummies on upper-auror level settings.

The dragons finally managed to gain the ability of flight, though unfortunately they could not fly as far or high as they wanted due to the barrier, but they made due. By the end of the year the females were 8' and the males were 9'. More importantly, every last one of them were apparently dead serious when they claimed Harry and Nagini as parents...which was rather odd for the both of them. Long story short, when outside the two could rarely go anywhere without ten rather large, intimidating tagalongs. Thankfully hunting for food was made quite a bit easier for Harry when they learned how to breathe fire, using the combination to make quick work of prey, while Harry would follow close behind on another dragon to douse the flames with an Auguamenti.

As for Sophia, the Gryffon had by now reached full maturity and had apparently claimed the floor to the right of Harry's bed as her spot, regardless of the rather tight squeeze it took her to get past the door and into the room. While Harry was glad for her companionship, he had a suspicion that she was only like this to him and would still react poorly to other humans...not that he could really blame her.

By this time there was not a moment when one could find Harry or Nagini without finding the other; it was a constant with the sole exception of when Nagini went to hunt. Whether it be slithering behind or beside Harry, or wrapped around his torso, the two might as well have been joined at the proverbial hip. The other snakes oftentimes found the situation amusing, but were also secretly impressed by the bond they two showed towards each-other.

Year three was also the first year Harry really began to study magic intensively, and was shocked when upon reading Merlin's book, "The True Way of Magic: Wandless" he learned that originally, wizards and witches didn't use wands...hell they didn't use any medium at all! The book explained how wands simply toned down the magic and channeled it for more precise use, and how due to the ease that came with wielding a wand, over the centuries wizards and witches slowly became dependent upon their wands until wandless magic was either considered a myth or the sign of a very powerful wizard or witch. It taught him how using a wand was practically akin to using training wheels, and that you could never reach your full potential if you relied upon one. And so, not wanting to question the wisdom of Merlin, Harry did so, following what the book said to slowly but surely gain the use of wandless magic. Theoretically, all you needed to perform wandless magic was a good picture of what you wanted done and a solid will, and slowly Harry managed to perform basic activities with wandless magic by the year's end. He also started reading through the section on parseltongue by Salazar Slytherin, and found a plethora of spells designed specifically by and for paseltongue! This year was also the year Harry began studying true occlumency and found out that 'clearing your mind' was _the worst _thing one could to...which made one very irate human for a good day. Needless to say, while year three was the least eventful, it was packed with knowledge.

Year Four:

By this time the sole muggle studies he had left was genetics and learning about their technology. By the end he had a few theories as to why muggle electonics wouldn't work in magic-soaked areas, but he wouldn't be able to test it until the ward collapsed.

His study into genetics, however, brought him to a decision that would completely change his life. While studying genetics, he learned about gene splicing and how although muggle scientists had begun to do such, the test subjects had an incredibly low chance of survival, and even when they did the changes made were hardly noticable. While Harry knew they had facilities far past what he had, Harry had something they didn't: magic. And so with a fervor that somewhat surprised Nagini, Harry informed her of his plan. He knew that while he would be undoubtedly a formidable opponent by the end of the training, there would always be the possibility of taking a rather nasty hit during battle, and he wanted to improve his ability to stay in the fight. With this in mind he informed Nagini of his plan to use some of the blood he harvested from the dead basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets to splice his own DNA with that of the basilisk, with magic and his will guiding the splice to only effect his skin, and even then only by giving it the spell-repelling ability of a basilisk's hide. He explained to a very skeptical Nagini how he would have never attempted this before knowing genetics, but now that he knew exactly what he was guiding the magic to perform that there would be no problem so long as he maintained a firm focus on what he wanted his magic to do. Multiple times Nagini tried to dissuade him from it, mainly because such a thing had never been attempted before, but eventually Harry's determination to see it threw led to the day that would change their lives.

Flashback

'I've told you this already Nagini, so long as focus is maintained, my magic will do exactly what is desired; we both know this and it has been proven countless times by wizards such as Merlin himself! With you there to make sure I keep focused on the splice, we'll have this done in no time and I'll be a bit more spell-resistant.'

Nagini sighed mentally at this; she knew what he spoke was true, but she just couldn't shake the feeling that they were missing something. But no matter how many times they checked, rechecked, and just for the hell of it checked once more, they couldn't find anything that would suggest something would go wrong. Mentally crossing her non-existent fingers, Nagini gave out a slow hiss and nodded her assent.

Happy that Nagini finally gave the go-ahead, he took both her, a vial of the basilisk blood and a transfigured needle into a separate room away from the others for the 'operation'; they needed absolute concentration for this and told everyone so. Upon entering the room, Harry laid Nagini on the sole table there while he took the needle into one hand and filled it a quarter way with the basilisk blood; more than enough for what they had in mind. Looking at Nagini, he saw her body go limp as he could feel her mind enter his own to be a guide for his concentration, making sure he was focused solely on the specific DNA splice they wanted. Using his mediocre occlumency skills, Harry brought the full measure of his focus on the task at hand as he injected the blood into his arm, already feeling his magic do what they planned.

Harry was just letting a small smile bloom on his face when he suddenly felt something else reacting to the injection of basilisk blood and the magic...something that was already there, but apparently not part of his body. Trying not to panic, Harry frantically tried to think of what the substance could be, but quickly delegated that to Nagini while he continued focusing on the task, hoping that whatever it was would not react violently. He only had to wait a minute before he felt feelings of disbelief and shock coming from Nagini, and only a second more before she spoke out in his mind.

'Harry! The basilisk's venom from second year, it's still there somehow, you've got to stop the procedure right now before something happens!'

Harry's thought whirled as he desperately tried to maintain a firm focus on the task. _'The basilisk venom? It's still there? How? I thought the phoenix tears got rid of it!'_

Neither Harry nor Nagini could have known what the results of mixing the most potent healing substance and deadliest poison known to the world could have done, for nothing like it had ever happened before. While the phoenix tears did indeed get rid of the basilisk venom, it only got rid of a small portion of the venom. The amount of venom injected into Harry was a far greater quantity than that of a few phoenix tears, but the tears still managed to render the remaining venom harmless, but nevertheless there. Harry's body couldn't break down such a potent substance, so it simply sat there with everyone none the wiser. When Harry injected the basilisk's blood into himself and willed the magic to splice it with his own DNA, the dormant venom inside him responded to the will due to it's connection with the basilisk's blood, but because Harry was solely focused on the basilisk's _blood _and not the venom, the venom simply merged with his DNA with no restrictions placed upon it like the blood had, in essence rendering his will null and simply making it so that magic merged the two DNA's successfully and without endangering his life.

As it was, both Harry and Nagini had little warning before the combining of both DNA's reached the point where his magic deemed it necessary that he be unconscious for the rest, thus sending Nagini's mind careening back into her own body while Harry fell to the ground, fighting an uphill battle with keeping conscious. One last though went through his mind before he succumbed to the darkness. _'_

_'Oh, bloody hell.'_

When he finally came to, the first thing his eyes came across was the amber orbs of Nagini. While the feelings or worry he could feel coming from her were surprising, the feelings that confused him where those of awe he felt from her. However he put that aside as his still murky mind registered a rather uncomfortable sensation on his lower back so he immediately rolled over and sighed at the relief given from it.

~_...Harry? Harry are you alright? That's you in there isn't it?_~

The worry in her voice he could understand; they did just have a near-disastrous incident...but what was that last part? _'What does she mean by that? Who else would it be?'_ Still not quite fully aware yet, Harry sat up from his place on the floor and absently rubbed his forehead; it felt like Voldemort decided to Crucio all of England and let him 'enjoy' the festivities as well!

~_Uggghh...bloody hell my head hurts. What are you talking about Nagini, who else would it be, hmm?_~

However it was not Nagini that answered him, rather it was Callidus that responded in a smug tone.

~_Well, it's Harry alright. By the way, excellent new look Avatar! I must say, if you didn't look the part before, you certainly do now!_~

This was quickly followed by the sound of scale smacking scale and a muffled ~_Ow!_~ from Callidus, before the normally soft-spoken voice of Saffir spoke up to reprimand him.

~_Callidus! Now is not the place and certainly not the time for you remarks! That goes for you as well, Iocus!_~ Here her voice turned softer, and Harry realized she was addressing him now. ~_Avatar, how do you feel? You've gone through quite the...experience._~

Before he could ask any questions, Nagini chose now to speak up.

~_It's been nearly two days since you've passed out, Harry. And I'll say this in advance for when you finally do realize the situation; we had no way of knowing the basilisk's venom had remained in your body all this time, so don't start beating yourself up about it._~

At this, Harry's eyes snapped open. _'The basilisk venom, that's right! It interfered with the procedure...oh damn, what did it do?' _Heaving a sigh at the crap that constantly seemed to happen to him, Harry pinched the bridge of his nose...or at least tried to. He noticed two very important facts when attempting to do so. One: His hand was now a deep green and shimmered from the light in the room, and two: his nose was far further out that he remembered, for his hand bumped into something he clearly felt a good ways before it _should_ have touched his nose.

Slowly drawing his eyes away from his hand, Harry looked around the room and realized that everyone was there with the exceptions of the dragons, and only because they couldn't fit. Most were giving him worried looks, with others like two certain twin snakes were looking at him with admiration, while Nagini was an odd mix of both.

"...Mirror. I need a mirror, Dobby."

Said house elf simply bobbed his head, seemingly worried to the point where it actually drained him of some energy, yet within thirty second Harry was staring at himself in a full length mirror...or what he supposed was himself. First thing he noticed was that he no longer had any clothes on...but it really didn't matter now as far as modesty was concerned. For from the tip of his now bald head to the soles of his feet he was covered in deep green scales, and from his brief observation, they were _everywhere_. The sole exceptions to this were his belly, chest and inner thighs, which were all covered with segmented tan scales, much like one would find on the belly of a snake, and the scales along the spinal column of his back, which were black and raised into ridges. The cause of his pain while laying on his back became clear when a long, thin prehensile tail was seen gently swaying behind him, reaching down to touch the floor if he were to fully extend it. While his general bone structure had remained relatively similar to what it was before, his hands were now adorned with what could only be called sharpened, black scales giving them the semblance of claws, which also adorned his feet. However while the majority of his bone structure might have not changed, his skull most certainly could not boast the same. The reason his hand touched his face far earlier than it should have became all to evident now that he gazed upon his now serpentine muzzle. It was somewhat similar to Nagini's own, yet his had raised ridges where his eyebrows would have usually been. The same ridges that marked his back also marked his muzzle, with said ridges doing up his slightly extended neck, over his head and finally ending at the tip of his muzzle. Opening his maw, he noticed the small curved fangs that lined the sized, along with the two primary fangs which snicked down from the roof of his mouth once he opened it. Vaguely he noticed they were tipped with a slight purple sheen. _'Venom.'_ Even his tongue was now a serpents, promising him a 'fun' time when speaking english. Finally, he noticed with great relief that even though his head was officially a serpents, he still had eyelids; he'd go insane if he couldn't blink. However, his eyes now had slits and seemed far more dangerous than before; he probably couldn't kill or petrify anyone with them, but he would wager he could scare the piss out of almost anyone.

His observation done, Harry turned from the mirror and looked to the beings that he now considered dear friends, and in particular his familiar. He honestly wanted to be surprised about this, really he did...but he just couldn't.

"Well...I ssuppose you all are thinking I'll freak out, right? I'll admit, before I became a wizard I would have probably went inssane with thiss. Hell I'd probably go inssane if I wass a _normal _wizard! But...after all the weird sshit that has happened to me I just can't find thiss all that ssurprising. Life-changing? Most ccertainly. Sshocking? Not really. And Nagini, you don't need to worry, I won't blame mysself for thiss change, nor anyone elsse. I think you drilled that point home to me with Ssirius."

All was silent for a moment, each one regarding him incredulously due to his rather calm outlook on this whole situation, before Richard in his portrait burst out laughing. After he had calmed down, Richard looked back at Harry with amusement and more than a little respect.

"Bloody hell my boy! Only you would become a half-basilisk and end up shrugging at it, I knew there was a reason I liked you! Oh, if only some of those bigoted ancestors of your were here, I think they'd die again knowing the new head of the Potter line is the first half-snake, and basilisk at that! However while I can respect you keeping a cool head over all of this, we're going to have to do something about that voice of yours, not to mention your physical appearance. You'll need some way to disguise both until you're away from eyes and ears you do not trust."

Harry mumbled something about letting _him_ try to talk normally with no lips and a thin, forked tongue, eliciting muffled laughter from Nagini. But Richard had a point; if he was to return to Hogwarts soon after the barrier dropped, he would need to figure out a way to disguise both his physical appearance and his voice.

End Flashback

The rest of the fourth year was mainly spent getting used to his new body, which he quickly found the benefits and downsides to. The first downside he found was that he was now what he called 'luke-warm blooded', meaning while he could keep himself warm with his own body heat, he was also now far more susceptible to cold weather than he was before, finding this out upon stepping outside and nearly shrieking as the cold gales hit his scales, much to the amusement of his passengers. Secondly, he almost had a heart attack when upon yawning one morning, he had a literal 'jaw-dropping' experience. (Painful, I know but I had to put it in there...it was punny!...I'll stop now). His appetite had also changed drastically, having become essentially carnivorous and occasionally forgetting to chew, not that it was really a problem for him with his new anatomy.

For the benefits, he quickly noticed both his increased height of an even 6' and just how flexible and nimble his new body was. He could honestly say without exaggerating in the slightest that he could put the most flexible, double-joined acrobats to shame with his movements, thanks mostly to the serpentine aspect. Next he found out to his great delight that glasses were a thing of the past; his vision was so sharp it was almost painful; for the small downside of his color spectrum dulling slightly. Lastly, his wandless magic seemed to have been given a boost, for things he had found relatively difficult before the change were now almost simple; it would seem that having a side that had technically never used a wand helped greatly.

He continued with his animagus training and found out with little surprise that his 'animal' form was that of a (surprise, surprise) basilisk bearing no small resemblance to the one he killed, much to the delight of Nagini and the other four snakes. It was not all that uncommon to find a massive basilisk fast asleep in one of the rooms at 'night' with Nagini in her full size and the other four snakes somewhere amidst the massive coils, and occasionally Sophia could even be found perched atop the pile, much to everyone's amusement once they awoke; it would seem the Gryffon did not care in the slightest what form Harry was in. As for the dragons, they just claimed the change further proved his status as their father, much to his chagrin and Nagini's amusement. Hedwig didn't even hesitate to peck him when he stated he could understand if she was weary of his new form, much to his relief. Aqua was much the same, only she looked at him for a moment before simply rubbing her head against his in a show of acceptance. The elves were the most shocking, for after Dobby's initial meekness, they simply acted as if nothing had changed.

Fifth Year-Dropping of barrier:

The last year was focused entirely upon magical training and physical training, due to Harry learning all he could or wanted to from the muggle subjects he brought with him. During this year Harry also found out his passion for making things, specifically magical items and wards. With more than half of his time completely devoted to magical studies, his knowledge of runes and their applications soared under the tutelage of Richard and the rather helpful rune books, most of which he knew were one-of-a-kind. As for the creation of magical items, Harry found quite the helpful book which offered spells designed for the sole purpose of crafting items. By far the most useful of these being one which turned materials that were typically not malleable, malleable; the most important of these being gems. With this spell, named _"Mollis reddere" _Harry could essentially mold the gems into whatever shape he wanted, even merge several of them into a larger gemstone. He had great plans for this, but he pushed those aside until he was done with his training.

His occulmency training was nearly complete; his mindscape now resembled a castle with very close resemblance to Hogwarts, and even more confusing. Along the easily found hallways he put his memories of little importance, along with a few fake memories to mislead any intruder. If the intruder managed to delve deeper, they would soon find themselves in the dungeons of the castle, where unlike Hogwarts, a massive labyrinthine cavern awaited them, filled with rather nasty creatures if one should wander off the correct path. If they should manage to even get past _that_, what awaited them would appear to be nothing more than a dead end...and for most it would be, unless you spoke both parseltongue and knew the password, which was ~_Serpentis dominio_~, or Serpent's dominion in both parseltongue _and _latin. Where upon entering they would find a chamber reminiscent of the Chamber of Secrets, only without the massive statue of Salazar Slytherin. Here would lie his most closely guarded secrets. Needless to say, his mind was a well-guarded vault that few, if any could breach. Even then, it would take more time than they would have to crack.

As for his spell repertoire, Harry delved into everything he could get his hand...claws on, including the 'dark arts'. He cast nearly every spell that was classified by the ministry as 'dark', including all the unforgivables. Unsurprisingly, there were no dark caresses and sibilant whispers to use them again after casting; they were just like any other spell, albeit a bit more draining due to their potency. Perhaps his greatest increase in spell knowledge came from parseltongue spells, most of which were incredibly potent; some in their ability to heal grievous wounds, and others in their ability to deal said grievous wounds.

His physical training took on a whole new level with his new body, finding out quickly that his stamina had nearly doubled and his flexibility was simply on a level on its own. Due to his serpentine heritage, the muscles in his body compacted and strengthened, enabling him to jump to a height of seven feet at his max, and leaping nearly twice that far. By the end of the year, his height had also topped off at 6' 2", a massive difference from his comically short stature of before.

This new-found physical prowess combined with his growing repertoire of spells enabled him to take on seven of the training dummies set on the highest setting (Voldemort's Inner Circle) at once in an all-out fight and still make it out on top, if only barely. He hoped that upon returning to Hogwarts he would be capable of taking on all ten.

This year was also the year he decided to read the book, "Legacy of the Peverell" and learned of the Deathly Hallows; the Resurrection Stone, the Cloak of Invisibility, and the Elder Wand. One of which he had in his possession, one in the hands of Albus Dumbledore, the Elder Wand, and the last being unknown, which was the Resurrection Stone. Through this book he learned that with these three artifacts in one's possession, they essentially became invincible if all three items deemed their bearer their master. It was this knowledge that lead Harry to bury the Cloak where only he and Nagini knew of; in the wrong hands the three items could bring about destruction on a scale never before seen. The book also spoke of how to _correctly_ bind a spirit from the afterlife into a body, and how the only way to do so was with the use of the Resurrection Stone. Even then, the spirit had to be willing for the procedure to work. Harry learned that what people referred to as inferi were simply animated corpses with no will of their own; a twisted practice that defiled and disturbed the rest of a corpse.

As for his relationships, he only grew closer to all of the inhabitants and finally relented to the now fully-grown Hungarian Horntails to accept his position as their father and not just let them think so, much to their pleasure. By this time they could no longer fit anywhere inside the castle with the sole exception being the massive courtyard, so they either stayed there or in large caves they requested of Harry to make in a mountainside that was under the barrier. It was odd being considered and accepting the position of father of the ten dragons, but he didn't mind; he finally had a family to call his own, albeit by far the most unique family he'd ever heard of.

But by far the greatest change was in his relationship with Nagini; after his change there was a gleam in here eyes that Harry couldn't figure out for the longest time, seeing as how her emotions during that time were so numerous that he couldn't decipher what they meant. He himself had been feeling odd emotions towards his familiar, and seeing as how the only time he ever experienced anything even remotely resembling love was during his little crush on Cho Chang, he had little experience in the matter. It took a particularly frustrated Nagini one 'night' to finally get it through his thick skull just what both she and he were feeling, and when it finally clicked Harry was left speechless for the remainder of the 'night', leaving a distraught Nagini to think he had refused. However he was merely lost in a swarm of emotions and memories, taking the entire 'night' to think things over carefully, and by the time they typically awakened he made his way back to his quarters, where Nagini was coiled upon his bed, misery simply oozing from here and making his heart clench. It was a meek Harry that apologized to Nagini for his lack of response last night, and a very embarrassed Harry that admitted he felt the same, but that he wanted to take things slowly; he'd never really been in a real relationship before, and especially not with a snake, even though he himself technically was one as well. For Nagini she was overjoyed to hear his timid declaration, and didn't care in the least that he wanted to take it slow; that was just fine with her.

From there on, things were different around the two; the bond they shared reached a depth they didn't think possible. And though the others were never told, they all knew that Harry and Nagini were an 'item', prompting one particular portrait to laugh for a good half-hour over the irony of the situation once more. However, while they may have been together they never did anything explicit; Harry was dead serious when he said he wanted to take it slowly, and Nagini respected his wishes.

Finally, when Harry was going through his stretches to begin his exercises for the day it happened; with a sound that could only be compared to glass shattering, the massive dome that had encompassed them for the past five years broke into thousands of pieces, with said pieces soon dissipating into nothing before ever reaching the ground. Immediately, the waters from the river rushed into the nearly-empty section, the birds that were once stationary moved once again, and the rest of the world finally moved in-synch to the grounds around Potter Manor.

With a smirk on his serpentine muzzle, Harry turned towards Nagini who also wore the same expression on her own muzzle, and with an voice filled with anticipation spoke seven words that would prove true in the times to come.

~_The world won't know what hit them._~

**Ending Notes: DONE! Merry Christmas and holy hell, 26,000 words! Enjoy my gift to you all and please accept my apologies for my absence these past months and this massive chapter as penance for my absence. Now if you haven't figured it out by now I worry about you, but the pairing is Harry/Nagini...honestly I'm shocked only two people figured it out. I mean, I have stated multiple times that I write stories that have never been attempted before, and I even posted the pairing on the summary! However, for all of you about to turn green in the face thinking of what this may lead to; don't. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't do smut. Period. Hell I wouldn't even know where to start in this particular scenario. The M rating is for blood, gore and language, NOT SMUT. That being said, while the relationship will be apparent it will NOT encompass the story; it will simply be one aspect of it. I know it was probably painful reading through the training section but it was a necessary evil; I can't just say he spent five years training and got a lot stronger...well I could but it'd make for a shitty story, and I don't want that. Thankfully the training arc is complete, finished! There will be little snippets of training here and there throughout the story, but it will never again be to such a degree...I'll admit the training part was a big part of my absence...I hate writing those parts. For all you frothing at the mouth for the next addition to "A Fox Among Tamers" worry not! THAT story is already on a roll and I don't have a painful training section to plow through; just straight up plot-goodness! I think I've rambled on enough now, and just as a last reminder, I will now be answering reviews at the BEGINNING of the chapter, not the end...just makes more sense to me. That being said, have a good day and Merry Christmas! (Sorry to all you out there that may take offense to this, I'm just wishing you a good day)**


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